Ranma, A different path taken
by kayemsi
Summary: AU This Ranma is more intelligent, nicer. Read first chapter for better summary
1. Enter the Saotomes

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is a trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Video. I have no ownership to these characters, or names. It is just for my amusement and hopefully yours.

Author's note. This is an alternate universe story. Ranma will be somewhat out of character, though I haven't decided exactly how different he will be. Basically, the premise is that Genma told him about the engagement after the Jusenkyo training, so he has had a couple of weeks to think about it. This Ranma is going to be more intelligent, a bit less of a jerk, and therefore nicer than the one in the canon. The thought is that because he has trained at several different dojos, with many different senseis, he has seen better male role models than Genma, and realized that outside of martial arts, his father is pretty clueless, especially in regards to his attitude toward other people, especially women.

Chapter 1 Enter the Saotomes

It was another dreary day in Nerima, promising rain, later. A middle-aged man, with black hair and a mustache, wearing a training gi, was sitting looking at a shogi board, pondering his next move, drinking some green tea. Finally, he decided what his next move would be, made it on the board in front of him, and then wrote it down on a card. After writing the address on the card, he put in with a stack of other mail. He then picked up his newspaper and began to read. An attractive young woman, with long black hair, wearing an apron, came into the room, apparently from a kitchen, since she was carrying a teapot in her hands. "Father," the young lady asked, "Would you like some more tea?"

The man looked up, and then said, "Yes, thank you, Kasumi, that would be nice. Has the mail come, yet, if it hasn't there are several things here that need to go?" Kasumi shook her head, and poured some more tea in her father's cup, then picked up the mail and left. The man went back to reading his paper.

Kasumi entered her domain, the kitchen, and gazed around it in satisfaction. The room was spotless as was the rest of the house. Obviously this was a woman who took great pride in doing the best she could, even if it was 'only' housework. However, it was also obvious that there was something more than just a housewife about Kasumi, looking at the bookshelves. While most of the books were cookbooks, there were also several well-read medical texts, including some on psychology. Not the typical reading for a housewife. There was a knock on the kitchen door, gaining her attention. There, standing at the door was the mailman. Kasumi handed him the outgoing mail, and received the new mail in exchange. There were several letters, including one postcard, addressed to her father. She carried them into the dining room, and handed them to her father. He put the letters aside, most of them looking like they were bills. Those he would give to Nabiki later. He looked at the postcard; it showed a picture of a panda and a young girl on the front. On the back was a message, 'Soun, old friend, Genma and Ranma arriving afternoon' and a date. He suddenly realized the date was today. He smiled, and thought to himself, 'Finally, my old friend Genma and his son are coming to fulfill the pledge we made before our children were born.' He made a decision, and then asked, "Kasumi, would you find your sisters, we need to have a family meeting, this postcard is exciting news."

Kasumi smiled, and then went upstairs where she knew she would find her younger sister. She knocked on Nabiki's door, and then entered. There she found another attractive girl, with shoulder length, brown hair, dressed in shorts and a buttoned shirt, with most of the buttons undone. She was sitting at her desk, going over what appeared to be a ledger, writing down numbers. "Nabiki, Father would like to have a family meeting, downstairs, would you join us please?" Nabiki looked up, frowned and asked, "What's it about, Kasumi? Is it important, I'm in the middle of something, right now?"

"I'm not sure what it is about, but it must have something to do with the postcard he got in the mail today. Do you know where Akane is?" Kasumi replied.

"She's in the dojo working out," Nabiki said, "Tell Father that I will be down in a minute."

Kasumi went downstairs, and out the door. There was a large lawn area, with a koi pond to the right, and a large wooden building to the left. A wall surrounded the entire property, with a small walk leading from the house to a wooden gate in the stone wall. She walked over to the building, and entered. Inside was a large open space; on the walls were various martial art weapons, and displays. Several banners of tournaments won were also displayed around the walls. However the most prominent display was an altar sitting on a shelf on one of the walls. There she saw her youngest sister, a cute girl of medium height, with blue-black hair, not quite as long as her own. She had just cleaned up the area after breaking several bricks with her hand, as Kasumi entered. Kasumi bowed to the altar, and then said, "Akane, Father would like to have a family meeting in the dining room, could you join us please?" Akane looked up, grabbed a towel and began to wipe herself off. She nodded, and followed her sister into the house. They met their father and sister Nabiki and sat down on the floor around the dining platform.

Soun looked at his daughters for a moment, pride evident in his gaze. "I have received a postcard from a dear friend. He and I trained together for many years and underwent many hardships. He is the other follower of the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, so we pledged on our family honors that one day we would join our two schools. He and his son Ranma are coming here today, this afternoon, in fulfillment of that pledge. We agreed that our families would be joined in marriage, therefore Ranma will be engaged to one of you, " Soun said.

"Father, how old is Ranma?" Kasumi asked.

Nabiki asked, "Is he cute?"

Akane just glowered, and then said, "Father, how could you have arranged a marriage, what do you know about these people?" She was beginning to get a bit angry.

"Actually, I've never met Ranma. I don't know anything about him, except that he is a martial artist like his father, and they are coming back from ten years of training, most recently in China. I'm sure he is a very nice boy, however," Soun said.

"Oh, My," Kasumi gasped, "You don't have any idea what he is like?"

Soun shook his head. "Nevertheless, our family's honor demands that one of you marry Ranma, so that he can inherit the family house and dojo as a wedding gift," Soun responded.

"Father's right about that," Nabiki said sadly, "We cannot afford the inheritance taxes that would come due upon his death otherwise. No matter how I stretch the budget, it just doesn't work. But if Father gives the property as a wedding gift, there is no taxes on the transaction."

"They will be staying here as our guest for some time, Kasumi, so we need to get t the guestroom ready," Soun added.

'Great, more expenses,' Nabiki grumbled to herself. "Sisters, I don't know that we have much choice if we want to keep the property in the family. I was afraid that this might be the only way, myself, so it's not a complete shock to me." With that she got up and went back to her room. Once she got there, she changed out of her clothes and put on a formal kimono and went back and worked on her books. Akane took a bath, and changed into another training gi. Kasumi sighed, and went into the guestroom to prepare it.

The inhabitants of Nerima have seen many strange sights, but none as strange as the one they were currently watching, on this dreary, rainy day. A panda, wearing a dirty yellow gi, and a kerchief on it's head, was chasing a young, red haired, pigtailed girl, in a Chinese shirt and pants, carrying a huge backpack. The young girl wasn't pulling away, but was clearly keeping her distance. She was yelling something, which as she got nearer, could be heard as "Pop, I'm not going, you can't make me, I want to go back to China." The panda, of course, said nothing. As the girl was running, she turned to look back, as she did so she ran smack into a street sign, knocking her down. Quickly, the panda grabbed the girl, and continued running. Now the girl began screaming, "Put me down, you Baka, at least let me change, they can't see me like this!" Slowly, the panda, with its burden, vanished down the street. The onlookers just shrugged their shoulders, wondering if the circus was back in town.

Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane were gathered together with their father in the dining room, waiting for their guests to arrive, busily speculating on what Ranma was like. Soun just smiled to himself, thinking, "At least they aren't rejecting the idea out right. If only Ranma is a nice boy." There was a knock at the door; Nabiki and Soun got up to answer, hoping that indeed it was their guests. Akane and Kasumi then heard the sounds of panic, Nabiki came running in saying "P p p p a n d a", closely followed by her father. Akane jumped up to get between her family and whatever was coming into the room.

Suddenly, they heard a voice saying, "Ok, you stupid panda, you're scaring them, put me down, now!" A young looking boy, with bright red hair pulled back in a pigtail, dressed in a red Chinese shirt, and black pants, came in; followed by a panda. "Hello, I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry about this," the boy said in a medium pitched voice.

Soun rushed up to him and hugged him, happy that finally his dream had come true. Slowly, he began to realize that there was something wrong. He was feeling something against his chest that just didn't belong. He separated from Ranma.

Nabiki looked at the boy in front of her, thinking, "At least he's cute, but how old is he?" Then suddenly she noticed something, walked over to the boy and put her hand on his chest. "Uh, guys, I don't think this is a boy," she said, as she squeezed what she was feeling.

Ranma looked at her and said, "Would you stop doing that, we haven't even been formally introduced and already you're feeling me up. What kind of girl are you anyway?"

Nabiki blushed and dropped her hand. "Father, didn't you even find out if Ranma was a guy? How dumb can you be, anyway?"

Soun looked at her in shock, and said, "I know Gemna said he had a son, I don't understand this." Then he fainted.

Kasumi said, "Oh My, Father."

Akane looked at the young girl, standing in front of her, and could see the pain in her eyes. Akane felt something, a feeling of pity, for this poor girl in front of her, apparently without a friend in the world. She walked over to Ranma, and said, "Hi, I'm Akane, want to be friends?" Ranma looked at her and her entire face lit up. She nodded. Akane asked, "Do you want to go to the dojo and work out with me?" Ranma again nodded and followed her over into the dojo.

Akane said, "Father said you were a martial artist, are you any good?"

"Yeah, I know a few things," Ranma said, "I generally could beat Pop."

"Well, I'll go easy on you," Akane said with a grin. Ranma smiled back at her.

Akane got in her stance, Ranma just stood there. Akane looked puzzled for a second, and then began to hit at Ranma. Ranma didn't even block, she just swayed out of the way of the punches, jumping back and forth to avoid Akane. Akane started getting frustrated, she couldn't hit her, and Ranma wasn't even trying to hit her. "Come on, fight me," Akane growled.

Ranma just smiled, and then said, "Sorry, I don't hit girls."

Akane started seeing red, and then she charged, full force. Ranma jumped up, touched her on the head and landed behind her. Akane ran full tilt into the wall and bounced back onto the floor. Ranma ran over to help her up, smiling. Akane couldn't stay mad at this cheerful girl. She said, "I guess you're better than me, you beat me. At least you're not a guy."

Ranma's face fell, and she stopped smiling. "Akane," she said, "Despite my appearance, I really am a guy. Sorry." She ran back into the house, looking extremely downcast.

As she entered, Kasumi said, "Why don't you go clean up in the bathroom, then we can talk some more." Ranma looked at her, then nodded, following Kasumi as she showed her the bathing area.

Ranma put out the occupied sign, took off her clothing, placing it on the clothes rack. Then washing herself down with the buckets of cold water, and soap, she cleansed herself. She then walked over to the furo, and got into the hot water. As she did, suddenly she changed into a somewhat taller young man, with pigtailed black hair. He soaked for a while thinking to himself. He finally decided, 'They need to find out the truth, I can't hide this,' he thought to himself. He got out of the tub and began to towel himself dry. Finally, he wrapped himself up in the towel and headed toward the inner door. As he neared it, he heard some noises on the other side. He called out, "Excuse me, is someone out there?"

Akane came into the house, looking to take her bath. She entered the outer room and began to take of her clothing. She noticed that Ranma's clothes were on the clothes rack. 'I guess I can join her,' she thought to herself. Suddenly, she heard a male voice on the other side of the door, asking if someone was out there. Akane threw her robe back on, and then answered, "Yes, I am, who are you?"

Ranma heard Akane answer. He checked his towel, and then said, "Akane, it's me, Ranma. I need to get dressed. Are you decent?"

Akane couldn't believe what she heard; she opened the door between them. There in standing in front of her was a handsome young man, somewhat taller than she was, with black hair, in a pigtail, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. He was extremely well built, with a broad chest. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, but she kind of liked it.

"Akane, I told you I was a guy," Ranma began, "Why don't we switch places, so that I can get dressed. Once you're done in here, then I can go over the whole story with everyone." Akane just nodded, still in shock. Ranma reached out and pulled her into the bathing area, and he slid around her into the changing room. He shut the door, and then began putting on his clothes, keeping a wary eye on the door between them. Once he was dressed, he knocked on the door, and asked, "Akane, are you ok in there?" No answer. He shrugged, left the bathroom. As he did, he ran into Kasumi, and Nabiki. They looked shocked to see a strange man in her house. "I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry about this. Uh, could on of you check on your sister, I don't think she's alright?" he asked.

Kasumi looked at the strange man, shrugged her shoulders, and said, "Oh, my." Then she went into the bathroom to check on Akane. Nabiki's eyes got large looking at the handsome man standing there. 'He is cute', she thought.

Ranma entered the dining room to find Soun still passed out on the floor. The panda was sitting outside, apparently where Kasumi had banished him, munching on some bamboo shoots. Ranma walked over to the panda, hit him on the head and said, "We could come right over, we didn't have to change, they would understand, you said! What on earth were you thinking?"

The panda looked at him and said nothing. A sign came out of nowhere, on it where the words, 'Oh, well, I guess I was wrong.' Kasumi came out and asked if there was anything Ranma needed. He thought for a second and then asked for some hot water. Kasumi blinked, then left. Shortly, she came back and handed him a teakettle. Ranma poured the hot water over the panda, which transformed into a middle aged, overweight, balding man, wearing the same dirty yellow gi and a bandanna on his head. Again, Kasumi blinked in surprise. Ranma and the man entered the dining area and waited. Eventually, Soun recovered from his swoon.

Soun looked at the two people sitting next to him, "Genma, Ranma, is that you? Daughters, please come join us. Oh happy day!" as he began to weep with joy.

Genma nodded. The three girls came in, Nabiki now back to her normal attire, instead of the formal kimono. They saw an overweight middle-aged man, sitting next to there father. Standing behind them was the same young man that the girls had already met.

"Hello, I'm Genma Saotome," the man said.

"I'm Ranma Saotome," the young man added.

Soun said, "I am Soun Tendo, this is my daughter, Kasumi, 19, my daughter Nabiki 17, and my youngest daughter Akane, 16."

"But we've already met a Ranma, and she was a girl," Akane protested, "I just sparred with her in the dojo."

"It's a long story, Akane, and yes I'm the same person. Remember, I told you in the dojo that I was really a guy," Ranma replied. Then he proceeded to tell the story of the training trip that ended in the disaster at Jusenkyo. As he reached the part of the story where his father fell into the spring, he could tell they needed a demonstration. As his father reached for him to throw him in to the koi pond, Ranma slipped out of his grasp and threw him in instead. A panda rose out of the water, and came back toward the house. Kasumi greeted him with a kettle of hot water, poured it back on the panda, which transformed back into Genma. She then handed him a towel.

Soun began crying, "The tales of the cursed training grounds of Jusenkyo; they are too horrible to imagine."

Nabiki just stared, and then asked, "If they are so dangerous, then why did you go there?"

"Aw, Pop found this guide book written in Chinese that talked about training grounds," Ranma replied.

"Let me guess, you don't speak or read Chinese, do you?" Nabiki asked dryly.

Genma just shook his head, and then put out a sign saying, 'Don't mind me, I'm just a cute panda'

"Pop, cut that out, it barely works when you are a panda," Ranma growled.

Soun broke in, "You change when you are hit with cold water, and change back when you use hot water?" Ranma nodded. "Good, then the schools can still be joined! Please pick which of my daughters you wish to marry."

Genma added, "Yeah, boy, go ahead and choose your fiancée."

Ranma looked at the three attractive girls sitting in front of him. He could tell from their expressions that they weren't real excited about this. As Kasumi opened her mouth, Ranma interrupted.


	2. Making Plans

Chapter 2 Making Plans

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to choose who I want to be engaged to, after all I don't know anything about them," snarled Ranma, "I told you what I thought about this engagement before we got here. If you want any cooperation from me at all, the girls and I need to talk, without any interruptions from the two of you. Now either ya back off now, or I'm outta here!"

"That's an excellent idea, Father," said Nabiki quickly, as she stood up, "Let's go into the dojo so we can discuss this." Akane and Kasumi looked at their sister in surprise, then stood up and followed Ranma and Nabiki out.

"Thanks for the support, uh, Nabiki, right?" Ranma said, "Well I think it's obvious from your reactions, that you're not too happy about this situation either. Looks like you three probably just found about it. I at least had several days warning, so I've had a chance to think about it."

Nabiki nodded, "Yes, Father just told us about the agreement today. I don't think any of us are real happy about the possibility either. The problem that we have, is we just can't afford the inheritance tax on the property when Father dies. At least if one of us gets married, then he can give it to you as a wedding gift, and skip that problem. I had been afraid that he might arrange a marriage for one of us for that very reason."

Ranma looked startled, "Oh, that changes things a little, I guess. The very few times I had thought about the future, and being married, I thought I would at least know the woman I was to wed. I expect you three had much the same thoughts. I didn't think about getting married to protect property. I'd like to find out how you feel about the mess we're in. Kasumi, let me guess, you think I'm too young for you, right?"

Kasumi just nodded. Nabiki added, quickly, "Plus she's interested in Dr. Tofu."

Kasumi blushed, and then said, "Yes, I had hoped to marry him, I care for him a great deal, but if family honor dictates that I must marry you, then I would."

"I thought as much. Nabiki, you were interested in seeing what I was like, but when you thought I was a girl, then found out I was actually a guy, it bothered you. You thought it was just too weird. Don't worry about insulting me; I think it's pretty weird myself. You should look at it from where I'm sitting. Especially since I don't know the first thing about being a girl," Ranma said.

Nabiki looked stunned, 'How could he know all this?' she thought. "Yes, I thought it might be nice to have a cute boyfriend. I'm not sure I could handle having a cute girlfriend as part of the package," she said.

"Akane, you're hurt the worst. You thought you had made a new friend, and all of a sudden that new friend turns into someone who stands a good chance of stealing your dream of running the dojo and teaching martial arts. Did I miss anything?" Ranma asked, with a faint hint of amusement. Akane just nodded her head in agreement.

Nabiki looked at her sisters, seeing their expressions. She said, "No, I think you have captured the highpoints. Now, you want to tell me how you did that?"

Ranma smiled slightly, and then said, "I wouldn't be much of a martial artist if I couldn't read the non-verbal cues of my opponents, now could I? I just observe everyone that way, so I tend to pick up on some things. I'm not always right, though, if that helps any."

Akane said, "That actually makes some sense, I never thought to try that. Obviously, you have some sort of plan."

"Well, maybe the beginning of one. I need a lot of help, as well as a lot of time, to put it completely together," Ranma replied, "Is there any way we can just get out of the agreement?"

Kasumi sighed, and said, "No, once Father starts talking about the honor of the family being involved, it is impossible to get him to change his mind about anything." The other two nodded in agreement.

"I was afraid of that. Pop is the same way, though I don't think he has any personal honor. Ok, since there's no way to get out of the agreement, at least not right now, I guess we have to go along with it. What I suggest, though, is that I don't actually choose any of you, just that eventually I will ask one of you to marry me. That way maybe we won't get too much pressure to marry," Ranma replied.

Nabiki said, "I think we can swing that by saying that none of us wants to agree to being engaged to a total stranger."

"Ok, then next, I want to wait until I am at least out of school before I get engaged," Ranma stated.

Akane said, "I can relate to that. But what does that do for us?"

"Well, it at least delays the decision. The other thing I can promise each of you is that I want the decision to be engaged to be a joint one with the woman I love. I want to know that she married me because she wanted to, not because she was forced into it," Ranma said, "What I would like to propose, oops, bad choice of words, sorry. What I would like to suggest is that we get to know each other, and if something happens between two of us, then we go from there."

"There's actually a better reason to wait. Ranma really needs to be over twenty before he can legally inherit the property. If Father gives it to him before then, he's still considered a minor, and someone else has to be the trustee," Nabiki said, "Ok, so far everything that you've said sounds reasonable. Why are you interested in this farce?"

"Well, a couple of reasons, I suppose. One, I've been wandering since I was six, and I would really like to find a home," Ranma said. He started looking sad, then said, "Damn, excuse me for a second." He left the dojo, and then a loud splash was heard. Ranma walked back in, then she continued, "Sorry, I don't handle emotions well yet as a guy. According to Pop, guys don't cry, and if I continue much longer I may need to. Second, I haven't had a chance to make friends, every time I got close to someone, Pop would drag me off somewhere else. If I stay here, I hope that we can at least become friends."

Kasumi looked at Ranma, seeing the unshed tears in the young girls eyes. Her heart went out to her. She walked over to Ranma, and hugged her. "You're that lonely?" she asked. She continued to hold Ranma, trying to comfort her. Tears began to flow down Ranma's cheeks; Kasumi joined her. They stood there in silence as they wept together.

Finally, Ranma brought her emotions under control. "Yeah, Kasumi, I'm that lonely. Thanks for understanding. Pop was never any good at teaching me relationships, ya know, he didn't want any distractions from the art." She shivered for a second, and then said, "Ok, we need to work out a plan about this. That ain't something I'm real good at. One of you want to jump in here?"

"I'm your woman," smirked Nabiki, "What do you want to accomplish?"

"Well, if I marry one of you, I want it to be because we want to. Second, I don't want any of us to lose out on finding someone else. Third, I want all four of us to be happy, or at least, willing, about the plan. Fourth, I don't want your life ruined because we are here. And lastly, but not least, I hope we can be friends," Ranma replied.

Akane said, "That sounds reasonable, how do we pull it off?"

"I've got some ideas," Nabiki said, "The other problem I have, is that if we add two more people to the household, the money situation gets tight. Since Father stopped teaching, I've had to earn money any way I could, to stretch the money we get from the few investments I made before. Adding two more mouths to feed won't help. Don't take this the wrong way, Ranma, but we can't afford any freeloaders."

"Uh, then maybe one of the conditions is that Pop finds a job. He'll hate that, having to work, but if he does, he'll have less time to cause mischief. Hey, Akane, do you think your father would be willing to teach?" Ranma asked.

"Father hasn't been interested in teaching since Mother died," Kasumi replied.

"I don't think he would object if we taught, however. You'll have to train me though, it's obvious that I'm not as good as you," Akane said, trying to hide the bitterness she felt.

Ranma looked sad, obviously Akane hadn't hidden it very well. "Akane, I had the advantage, if you want to call it that, of training with Pop. Also, we trained at dozens of dojos under many different senseis. That allowed me to get pretty good. If you had had that experience, you'd be my equal, I'm sure. The talent is there, just not the training or control." Akane suddenly brightened. Ranma continued, "Ok, we can try teaching. Nabiki, if there is anything else we can do to help out money wise, talk to me about it. Kasumi, that goes for you too, if there is something you need done around the house, let me and Pop help. One other thing, if I am going to train Akane, I would like the two of you to join us as well, that way we can possibly talk about any other issues."

"Akane, I'm afraid that this engagement will be hardest on you," Nabiki said, "I'm sure that Father will be pressuring you to get engaged to Ranma. After all, you're the same age; and both interested in martial arts. The only difficulty is your dislike of boys."

"Why do you dislike boys? Is that why you were so happy I was a girl, when we were practicing, and I beat you?" Ranma asked in astonishment.

"Because all boys are perverts. The horde of boys that keep challenging me at school, hoping to beat me so that I have to date them, just proves that," Akane replied.

"I don't think all boys are perverts," Ranma said, "I'm pretty sure I'm not, though I'm not sure what you mean by that anyway. What do you consider a pervert?"

"Somebody trying to see me without my clothes on, or trying to force themselves on me, or you know, things like that?" Akane said.

"Is that what was bothering you in the bath, or were you startled to find out that I really was a guy? Remember, you opened the door on me, and at least we were more or less decent. As for trying to force myself on you, or any other girl, that won't happen. Remember, I have to worry about that when I'm a girl, myself, so I sorta understand. And even if I wasn't cursed, an honorable man wouldn't do that, and I am a man of honor, if nothing else. Akane, to be honest, though, guys are as curious about what girl's body looks like as girls are about a guy's body. But whatever curiosity I might have had before, a girl's appearance isn't a mystery to me. I'm just glad I heard you moving around in the changing room, so I was able to spare you some embarrassment if you had just walked in on me. I had hoped to show you I was really a guy a bit more gracefully. I'm sorry you found out the way you did," Ranma said softly, "Anyway, what does beating you in a fight have to do with you dating?"

"It's just something that Kuno came up with," Nabiki said, "He's an upperclassman who thinks he's in love with my sister. He made this challenge that no one can ask Akane out unless they beat her in combat. So she's been fighting off the Hentaii Horde every morning since then."

"That's just plain stupid," Ranma said in anger, "Akane, why do put up with that? Surely that's got to be getting old, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, but I let it go on because at least that way I had someone to spar with. Since we are going to train together, I need to put a stop to it," Akane said.

"Well, I guess I could tell them I beat you in a fight, though that session we had really shouldn't count. Of course, I don't have to tell them I was a girl at the time," Ranma said with a smirk, "But would that insult you as a martial artist?"

Akane shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know if that would help or not."

"Anyway, we can worry about that later. Do we have a basic agreement on how we handle our parents?" Nabiki asked. They all nodded. "Ok, let me handle the negotiations, just follow my lead."

Ranma said, "I need to talk to Akane for a minute, just wait outside and we'll join you." The other two girls left. Akane looked a bit puzzled. "I hope you realize that your sisters were going to suggest that you be the fiancée before I stepped in. Not that I blame them, nor should you. I thought I needed to step in because I wasn't ready for an engagement. We made a good start toward being friends this morning, I hope that you are still willing."

Akane smiled, and said, "I'd like that. Were you serious about wanting to help me get rid of the boys attacking me?"

Ranma said, "Yes, I was. We need to get Nabiki back in on that, though. I don't want to do more harm than good." With that they left the dojo and joined Nabiki and Kasumi.

The four of them went back into the dining area, stopping in the kitchen long enough for Ranma to change back, and dry off. They interrupted their fathers playing shogi, both of them cheating outrageously when they thought the other wasn't looking. There was a half empty bottle of sake and two saucers sitting beside them.

"Father, we have come to some agreements among the four of us. There are all non-negotiable demands, so pay attention. If you disagree with any of them, Ranma will leave and not come back. It was basically all I could do to talk him into this as it is. First, the four of us agree that family honor requires the formal acknowledgement of the engagement, however none of us will be engaged. In other words, Ranma has agreed to be engaged to one of the three of us, but it will be a mutual decision on their part. Second, none of us will get officially engaged to him until after he graduates from high school. Third, there will be no interference by either of you with this agreement. Fourth, there will be no training or fighting in the house, and we need to minimize the damage outside, frankly, our finances couldn't stand the additional expense. Fifth, Mr. Saotome must find gainful employment to help supplement our household income. Sixth, Ranma will attend high school, and he and Akane would like to begin training students, also to help with the additional needs. Because of that, any sparring must happen in the afternoon, after school. Furthermore, Kasumi will need additional help around the house, and all of us will need to pitch in. Also, the four of us will be training together, and that is our time, so you will refrain from attending those sessions," Nabiki said, as she handed them a written copy of the agreements she had just stated. "If you agree, sign where it shows your name." Genma and Soun looked at each other, and started to protest. Ranma just shook his head, went and got his backpack, and started to the door. They immediately signed the papers. "It's a pleasure doing business with you," Nabiki smirked, as she notarized the documents.


	3. School Daze

Chapter 3 School Daze

The next morning, Ranma woke up to the sound of Akane's voice.  "Ranma, breakfast is ready," she was saying as she shook him.

He opened his eyes, and gazed at her sleepily for a second.  'She's pretty cute', he thought, 'This is a much nicer way of waking up than Pop throwing me out of bed.'

"Thanks, Akane," he said, after a second, shaking the cobwebs out of his head.  "I'll be down in a second, once I throw some clothes on.  Don't let Pop eat everything in sight."

Akane smiled in acknowledgement, remembering what had happened the evening before.

Flashback

Gemna had attempted to steal the food off of Ranma's plate.  Kasumi had simply reached over, swatted his hand with her chopsticks, and removed Gemna's plate.  "I told you we weren't going to have any fights in the house.  If you don't stop trying to steal Ranma's food, then I'll stop fixing you meals," she said sweetly.  Gemna's face paled, and he apologized.

"Oh, My!!" said Nabiki.  'Did I just say that, well I guess someone had to,' she thought.  Akane sat there stunned.

Ranma convulsed in silent laughter.  'Way to go, Kasumi,' he thought.

End Flashback

Akane left the room.  Ranma got up, and changed into clean clothes.  He left the guestroom and walked downstairs to the dining area.  Soun was sitting at one end of the dining platform, Kasumi sitting opposite him.  Akane sat down next to her father; Ranma sat between her and Kasumi, and opposite Nabiki.  Gemna came in from outside and sat down in the remaining space, between Soun and Nabiki.  

Kasumi handed the plates of food around and everyone began to eat, Gemna devouring everything in sight at warp speed.  Ranma was copying his behavior, until Nabiki said sharply, "Why don't you at least taste it as it's going in?"  Ranma looked abashed and slowed down.  

Ranma looked surprised, and then said, "You're right Nabiki, thanks, this is entirely too good not to taste.  I didn't know what I was missing.  Kasumi, you are an excellent cook."  Kasumi blushed, and then nodded her thanks.

"Come on, Ranma, we'll be late if you don't hurry!" Akane said.

He looked up, just in time to see a backpack heading toward him.  He grabbed it, put it on, and got ready to leave.  Remembering his manners, however, he turned to Kasumi, bowed and said, "Thank you for preparing such a nice meal."  Gemna face faulted.  Ranma turned and followed Akane and Nabiki out the door.

Ranma was walking with Akane, when suddenly an old lady watering her flowers splashed him.  Akane just groaned, and said, "What are you, some kind of water magnet?  Come on, I know where we can get some hot water to change you back."  Ranma just shrugged and followed her to a small clinic on the way to school.  She followed Akane in to the clinic's reception room.  She was looking around, wondering who worked here, when suddenly she felt a bony hand on her shoulder.

A voice from behind her said, "Don't mind Betty, she's just trying to be friendly." Ranma turned and looked.  She saw a young man, in his early thirties, or late twenties, in a lab coat, holding a skeleton.  The skeleton's hand was what she had felt.

"This is Ranma Saotome, she is staying with us for a while.  Ranma this is Dr. Tofu," Akane gushed.  Ranma looked at the girl, while she wasn't sure, it sure sounded like Akane had a crush on the young doctor.

"Ranma, pleased to meet you.  You're an extremely attractive young girl," Tofu said.  Ranma winced.

"Doctor, do you have any hot water available?" Akane asked quickly.  Tofu nodded, went into a back room and came out with a small teakettle.  Ranma took it from him, poured the water over herself, and triggered the change.  Tofu's eyes got very wide, and he had a major face fault.  "I'll explain later, right now we need to get to school," Akane said, "Thanks."  Ranma nodded.  Akane pulled him out the door, heading toward the gates of the school.

"What's up with the doctor?  Ya know, he's a pretty good martial artist," he asked.

"How could you tell?" she asked in some surprise.

"Yeah, he has good control or else I would have sensed him," he replied, "So he's the guy that Kasumi likes?"

"Yes, she likes him," she said, a little sadly.

"Ya like him too, don't ya," Ranma said.

She blushed.  "He's been our doctor for a long time.  Every time I got hurt, I would go to him and he would make it better, so yeah, I have a bit of a crush on him," she admitted.

"I thought you didn't like guys," Ranma teased.

Her eyes flashed.  "No, I just don't like boys!" she exclaimed angrily.

As she got closer to the gates, and started saying, almost like a mantra, "I hate boys!  I hate boys!"  She pulled away from him and entered the schoolyard.  He began hearing the sounds of combat from the behind the walls.  As he entered the gates, he saw what looked like the entire male student population of the school stretched out in pain all over the yard.  As he watched, Akane finished knocking out the remaining boys.  'Nice form; actually, for group combat.  I can see why she has a poor opinion of boys," he thought.  He remembered then what Nabiki had said yesterday about the Hentaii Horde, and the little speech she had written for him to memorize.  He hoped it worked.

As he walked toward Akane, a rose came flying out from behind a tree.  She caught it, dropped it on the ground, and crushed it beneath her foot.  A figure in flowing robes, carrying a bokken, stepped out from behind the tree.  "Ah, the fair Akane Tendo, I see your love for me is still as strong as ever," the figure said.

Akane screamed at him, "I don't love you Kuno, I will never date you!!!  Leave me alone!!!!"

Ranma interrupted Akane, as she was about to attack Kuno.  "Akane, may I handle this please?" he asked pleasantly.  She glared at him angrily for a moment, and then nodded.  Stepping between Akane and Kuno, Ranma asked with a smile, "It appears the lady does not return your affection.  It also appears that you are beginning to annoy her.  I see by your robes that you consider yourself a Samurai.  Men of honor, such as you seem to be, would certainly not force their attention where it is unwanted.  I would ask that you honor her request to leave her alone."  Ranma was proud that he had managed to get through all of Nabiki's speech without stumbling.  'Ugh if I have to talk much more like that, I'm gonna need to wash out my mouth,' he thought.

"Peasant, how dare you interrupt,   but pardon, it is not right for this to continue without introducing myself.  I have the honor and privilege to be Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman, the Rising Star of Furinkan High, the undefeated champion, also known as the Blue Thunder."  As he finished talking, thunder roared in the background.

"Nice special effects," Ranma smirked.  "I am Ranma Saotome, of the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts.  I'm one of the new senseis at the Tendo School.  You must be the pompous fool who came up with the idea of the male students having to beat Akane in order to ask her for a date.  That is the stupidest thing that I have ever heard of.  I don't know much about women, but even I know that's not how you impress a girl.  If you want to ask a girl out, you do it like " Ranma said evenly.

Kuno interrupted, "Ill mannered oaf, only I may determine who may date Akane, you do not have that right!"  Akane began seething in anger.

"I believe you are wrong there on both counts.  Akane alone makes that decision.  And anyway, according to your own stupid rule, I can ask her for a date.  After all, I beat her in a fight yesterday, what was it Akane, three times out of five, I think," he said with a wink to Akane, hoping she would play along. 'After all, they don't have to know it was shogi,' he thought.  Akane glared at him, but then she remembered what he was doing.

"Yes, that's right, Ranma, you beat me three times out of five," Akane said with a thin smile.  Then she screamed, "Ranma, watch out!!" as Kuno attacked, swinging his bokken.  Ranma snatched it out of his hand, spun it around and broke it into four pieces.  He then proceeded to dance around Kuno, touching all of his pressure points and paralyzing him without getting hit in the process.  Finally, Kuno fell to the ground.  Ranma thought, 'Now that wasn't much of a fight, I guess he's not much without his bokken.'

"Kuno, do you yield?" Ranma spat through clenched teeth, trying to keep his temper under control.

Kuno attempted to stand, but fell back onto the ground.  He nodded and said, "Yes, your foul sorcery has bested me."

"It wasn't sorcery, it was skill, you dishonorable cur.  Attacking from behind, I thought a Samurai was better than that, you are not worthy of the uniform you wear," Ranma growled.  Then turning to Akane, he asked, " Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted.  Akane, I like you, I think you're cute.  Would you care to go out with me Friday night?"

Akane thought for a long second, and then replied, "No, I wouldn't."  Ranma's face fell.  She waited for a long pause.  "However, I believe Saturday would be good," she said with a giggle.

He mouthed the words "Thanks" to her, and then turned to the mass of bodies on the ground.  He said, "See that is how a honorable man asks a woman out.  Now, Akane, is there anything else we need to discuss with these gentlemen?"

She smiled a shark-like grin.  "Yes, there is.  I am tired of having to fight all of you every morning.  If you don't stop, Ranma and I will have to start taking shall we say stronger measures.  Kuno was selling something that he didn't have to offer.  As Ranma said, I decide whom I will date.  And it won't be any of you.  Why don't you take a look at all of the cute girls around school?  You might find one you like that likes you as well."

Ranma smiled.  "You heard the lady, gentlemen.  Oh by the way, Akane is the other sensei for the Tendo dojo.  I intend to teach her all my skills, so you might want to consider that.  We'd better run so we're not late, Akane."  They ran into the school and up the stairs to their third floor classroom, just beating the bell.

Nabiki watched the entire scene from the second story window.  'Way to go, Ranma, you did remember everything I told you.  This might have just worked," she thought with a smirk.

"Class, we have a new student joining us.  His name is Ranma Saotome, he just came back from China," said the teacher, "Can you tell us anymore about yourself?"

"Hai, sensei.  Uh, I'm a martial artist.  My Pop is a friend of Mr. Tendo and we are staying there for a while.  We are also reopening the Tendo dojo for students, if any of you are interested."

"Thank you, now since you know Miss Tendo, why don't you take the empty seat next to her?" the teacher said.  Ranma bowed, then went and sat beside Akane.  He started listening to the lecture, unfortunately, this was algebra, and his grasp of math, was to say at best, shaky, so he soon found himself not paying attention.  Shortly, he woke up after being hit on the head by an eraser, thrown at him by the teacher.  Soon he found himself outside in the hall, holding two pails of water, which he was eying nervously.

Suddenly, Kuno came charging at him, yelling, "How dare you date the beautiful Akane Tendo!"

Ranma dropped his buckets, ducked out of the way, and said, "This is not the appropriate place to fight, follow me," as he ran down the hall.  Heads popped out of every classroom trying to see what was going on.  Kuno followed him down the hall, Akane and her class close behind.  Ranma jumped out the window, Kuno hesitated for a second and followed.

Akane gasped, "This is the third floor," as she rushed over to the window.

Ranma looked below his and cursed.  'Just my luck, there's a swimming pool below me.'  He fell into the water and transformed.  Shortly thereafter, she felt the impact as Kuno fell into the water too.  He landed somewhat awkwardly and started sinking to the bottom of the pool.  Ranma swam down to him, and grabbed him and began pulling him over to the side.  She got out, and pulled Kuno from the pool.  Then she ran off.

Above, the students were watching.  One of them said, "There's Ranma and Kuno now.  But isn't Ranma's hair a lot redder than it was?"  Everyone looked puzzled.  Akane ran downstairs, grabbing a kettle of hot water and a towel from the nurses' office as she passed by it.  She ran outside looking for Ranma.  She finally found her up in a tree, trying to wring the water out of her clothes.  Ranma saw Akane, jumped down from the tree, and poured the water over her.  

"Thanks, Akane, you're a lifesaver," Ranma said as he dried himself off, "Next time I'll know about the pool."

"You're welcome, Ranma," Akane said, "Here's your bento.  It's time for lunch, anyway.  We can sit and eat out here if you want."  Ranma nodded, they sat down and began eating.  "Ranma, do you really think we did anything this morning?" Akane asked finally.

 "I don't know.  I hope so.  All we can do is see what happens tomorrow," Ranma said, "I doubt we chased Kuno away.  You're right about him, by the way; he is a pervert.  His hands were all over me as I was dragging him out of the pool.  I guess the only thing we accomplished this morning is that we got a date out of it, that is if you were really want to go.  We can just say we did if'n ya want.  I know ya don't think much of boys."

"I think I do if you want to.  I'm kinda looking forward to it; you're different from the others.  We'll really have to play it down with our parents," Akane said.

"Yeah, I know.  If we look like we're too friendly, they'd have us engaged before we could blink, and married the day after," Ranma said with a wry smile, "Even in spite of the contract they signed with us."

Akane sighed.  "Yeah, I know.  I still mad at him for the stupid engagement idea.  How do you plan on fooling them?"

"I could tell them it was a reward for doing well in training, that we're going out as sensei and student, I suppose, but you're going to have to tell me what you want to do and where you want to go.  I don't have any idea of what's fun to do around here," he said with a laugh.

"Ranma, Akane, there you are," Nabiki said as she sat down next to them.  "That was a pretty profitable morning for the family finances.  Everyone sure wanted to pay a lot to know about you.  I hope you don't mind too much about that.  I didn't say anything about the engagement or Jusenkyo.  I also made a killing on the fight this morning.  We do have a little problem, though.  I took Kuno to the nurses' office after you dragged him out of the pool.  He was asking about a red-haired, pig-tailed goddess.  I told him I didn't know anyone like that," she smirked.  "I don't know any goddesses, do you Ranma?" she said with a laugh.

Ranma just smirked, Akane giggled.  "Obviously, I don't want anyone to know about that.  Why don't you just tell him you're not having any luck finding out anything about her for a while?" Ranma said.

"We can probably milk that for about a week before I have to come up with something else.  Are you two serious about the date Saturday?" Nabiki asked.

"Yeah, we are, it'll just be as friends though.  The only way I'll get to know each of you is to do things with you, though I hadn't really planned to start so soon.  It kinda just happened, ya know?  Actually, since you planned my speech, you probably do know," Ranma answered.  "Something else I just figured out, I haven't had much formal education, but I tried to read everything I could get my hands on.  I didn't understand much of what was going on in class today, though.  I just didn't have enough background to follow much of what the teachers were saying.  I need to ask you two for help if I want to pass."

Nabiki thought for a second, "Akane can probably help you with studying.  I can pitch in some, though I don't know how much time I will have and don't underestimate Kasumi."  She sat there deep in thought for a while, and then asked, "Hm, tell me Ranma, how easy do you pick up martial art techniques?"

After a few minutes, Ranma said, "Pretty quickly.  I can usually watch someone for a while and pick up on what he is doing real fast.  That's why I never lose"

"Never lose, huh.  That's what I thought, you aren't a dumb jock; you just need a focus.  Therefore I challenge you to pay attention in class and learn the material.  All good martial artists need a good education," Nabiki said.

"Damn, you're good, Nabiki, using my own conceit and pride against me like that," Ranma laughed, "I accept, I never turn down a challenge.  Maybe that's really the secret; I need to treat school as just another martial art skill.  If it's martial arts, I can do it.  So here's to learning the art of Martial Arts Education."

Author's Notes:

I want to thank all of you who have reviewed this piece.  I certainly appreciate all of the comments.

Remember, Ranma is going to be a bit o-o-c in this.  He does come across as a bit more intelligent than I had originally intended, though I think a martial artist of his caliber really can't be a dumb jock.

In the first episode, which roughly corresponds to my first two chapters, Akane didn't really show a lot of anger except when she walked in on Ranma in the furo, and then when she was selected as the fiancée.  I removed both of those issues deliberately in those chapters, so she does come across a bit passive.  I think this chapter brings her back more in character.  As to her not liking boys, that's still true, but since so far Ranma is being reasonably polite to her, he should come across as more mature.

I also haven't really resolved any thing about Ranma's problem as far as the engagement is concerned.  Remember, right now he is effectively engaged to all three of the girls.

Again, thanks for reading and reviewing.  I hope you continue to like how this turns out.


	4. The First Week

Chapter 4 The first week

After Gemna got back from his job at Dr. Tofu's clinic, he went hunting his son.  "Boy, you're getting weak.  You need some practice," he said.

Ranma looked up at his dad, and said, "Sure thing Pop, I need something to beat on anyway.  Lead the way, old man."  He followed his father outside.  He stood there in a loose stance waiting for his father to attack him.  Finally, Gemna lunged at him.  Ranma ducked away from the blow, and kicked him with his follow through.  The force of the blow knocked Gemna almost into the koi pond.  "Too weak, huh," Ranma taunted, "You're getting slow!"

"I'm just getting warmed up," Gemna growled.  He rushed Ranma again.  This time he almost got to Ranma, but Ranma jumped over him, hitting him several times as he passed over his father.  Ranma spun around and landed facing his father's back, so he took that opportunity to sweep his feet out from under him, pounding him a few times as he went down.  Ranma sprung back, waiting for his father to get up.  Gemna got slowly to his feet, and charged Ranma.  Ranma smirked at his father, as his dad swung a large fist at him.  This time Ranma misjudged and when he dodged, he fell in the koi pond.

"Ah, man, this bites.  I almost made it through a whole day without changing," she said.  Ranma jumped out of the pond, leapt up and planted both of his feet in Gemna's face, knocking him down.  Then she picked him up and tossed him into the pond.  The panda climbed out of the pond just in time to meet Ranma's flying feet again, which knocked him back into the water.

"Dinner, Ranma, Mr. Saotome," Kasumi called out the door.

Ranma ran in the house and got some hot water to change back.

That evening after dinner, Akane and Ranma went up to study in her room.  Ranma was working one of the math problems, and failing to get the right answer.  Akane patiently walked him through it the first couple of times, but her temper was beginning to get the better of her.  Finally, she lost her temper, and yelled, "Baka!  Why are you so stupid!"

Ranma had been feeling frustrated about the whole situation.  He was trying hard; it just wasn't making any sense.  Plus, sitting this close to Akane, he could smell the perfume she was wearing, and it was making it hard for him to concentrate.  Not that he was going to let her know that!  He answered back, "What do you mean, tomboy?  If you were a better teacher it would help, ya know?"

"I'm trying to help you, you jerk," she hollered back.

The argument would have gotten worse from there, but then Ranma took a deep breath, got a hold of his temper, and said, "I'm sorry Akane, I know you're trying hard.  I shouldn't have said what I said.  Maybe we ought to take a short break, and do something else."

Akane hesitated.  'He apologized to me!' she thought, 'but I guess I started it.'  "That's probably a good idea, Ranma.  I'm sorry I lost my temper at you, too.  It's as much my fault as it was yours," she said, "Let's try looking at the science homework instead."

They spent the remainder of the evening studying, and when one of them would get frustrated, they would change to a different class.  Finally, it was time for them to go to bed.  Ranma thanked Akane for her help, and left for his bedroom.

The next morning, Ranma woke up feeling better than he had for a while.  Since Nabiki had put her foot down, his Pop hadn't tried waking him up early and tossing him outside to spar.  He was still a little surprised that she had managed to force Gemna to back off, but the contract that his father had signed seemed to have given her a lot of clout with him.  He went downstairs to wash up.  He checked, the occupied sign wasn't up, so he went in to the changing room.  He took his clothes off, grabbed a towel and headed into the bathing room.  As he opened the door, he saw Akane sitting in the tub.  Fortunately for him, she had sunk down so he couldn't see anything, but she was obviously getting an eyeful.  She blushed.  He shut the door in front of him, and put his clothes back on.  He quickly left the changing room and waited for Akane to leave.  He checked again, the sign wasn't there.  Akane came out, in her bathrobe, furious with him.  She yelled, "You pervert!" and slapped him.

He gulped, pointed to where the sign should have been, and said, "I'm sorry Akane, there's no sign, see.  It's not my fault.  I didn't see anything, though, I promise."

Akane looked; sure enough the sign wasn't there.  "Oh, damn, sorry, Ranma, I think someone's playing games with us.  I know I put the sign up," she said, "I guess I shouldn't be mad at you, you're right it wasn't your fault.  You better hurry up yourself, or you won't have time for breakfast."

Ranma rushed in, cleaned up as quick as he could, keeping one eye on the door.  Then he went to join everyone for breakfast.  Nabiki sat down across from him, eyeing him.  There was a slight smirk on her face when she noticed the red mark on Ranma's face and the remainder of the blush on Akane's face.

Akane and Ranma headed off to school together.  As they walked, Ranma said, "I think that Nabiki's moving the sign, Akane.  There was a definite reaction when she saw our faces.  I'm a little surprised that she didn't say anything."

Akane sighed, and then said, "Yeah, I saw it too.  I guess she thinks it's funny."  They neared the gates to the high school.  They could see a group of guys in wait for Akane, but it was smaller than yesterday.  Akane started her mantra, "I hate boys, I hate boys!" when suddenly Ranma grabbed her arm.

"This is my fight this time, Akane.  I challenged them to behave better toward you, so I get to take them on.  Now, if you want Kuno, he's yours, ok?" he said to her in a low voice.  She relaxed for a moment, and then nodded.  Ranma walked into the courtyard, and said, "I thought we had this worked out yesterday.  Nobody dates Akane unless they ask her.  Fighting her won't get you a date.  Which part of that don't you understand?"

One of them said, "We're not fighting to date Akane, now we're fighting because you are!" and several of them rushed Ranma.  Ranma jumped over them, touching pressure points on the necks of two of them as he went by, knocking them out of the fight.  He spun, jumped up and bounced off the head of another, taking him out.  Finally he kicked the last one in the chest, knocking him into a tree.  Ranma charged into the main mass of bodies.  He ducked a hockey stick, knocking it out of his opponent's hands.  He grabbed him, and threw him into four other boys, knocking them down. .  After that, it turned into a free-for-all.  Ranma did take some damage, but overall, the boys would have been better off to fight in smaller groups.  They got in each other's way and fell over each other, in some cases taking themselves completely out of the fight.  Ranma just bounded around, jumping over them, taking two or three of them out at a time.  Soon, the courtyard was littered with the groaning bodies of twenty or thirty boys.  Ranma just looked around in disgust, and said, "Next time I won't be so gentle.  Consider this your last chance."

Kuno walked out from where he had been observing.  He said, "I, Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman, Rising Star of Furinkan High, also known as the Blue Thunder, forbid your date with the Fair Akane Tendo.  You do not have my permission to date her."

Ranma just stared at him in utter disbelief.  "Hey, Blue Blunder, I don't need your permission to date her.  You aren't her father; you have no say in the matter.  The only person who does, is standing behind me about ready to kill you, so if I were you I'd start running," he said.

Kuno just stood there, as Akane walked up, eyes blazing in anger.  She said, "Kuno, you are an idiot.  If I want to date Ranma, that's my business, not yours.  Now I believe you have an appointment."  With every word she spoke, her voice got louder and louder.  On the final word, she launched him toward Dr. Tofu's clinic, using an uppercut from her Mallet of Doom.  She then turned, dusted off her hands, and joined Ranma as he entered the school.

Today was a better day as far as Ranma was concerned.  He still didn't understand everything the senseis said in class, but he had picked up enough from Akane that he could follow some of it.  In one class, the sensei was actually going over some material that he had even read about, so he was able to participate in the discussion.

That afternoon, the girls and Ranma were in the dojo practicing.  Kasumi was slowly working through some simple forms.  Nabiki was mostly just watching, though she had run through some leg lifts, and similar exercises.  Ranma was working out with Akane.  He had started her simply enough, working on her punches and follow-throughs, but now he was actively sparring with her.  He was dodging her blows, not even attempting to hit her, and she was beginning to get frustrated and angry with him.

She finally stood there, panting.  "Ranma, do you know how irritating this is?  Why don't you take me seriously and fight me for real?" she said angrily, "I'm a good martial artist after all, I took care of myself at the High School against all of those boys, even Kuno."

"Akane, if Kuno wanted to beat you, he could.  He's been holding back on you.  Watch me tomorrow against him and see for yourself," Ranma said, "You're form is a little sloppy and you get angry entirely too easily.  Once you get angry, then you lose all control.  You want me to take you seriously, then attack me again."

Akane started punching at him again.  This time, instead of dodging the blows he just blocked them, using the momentum of her punches to move her around the floor.  He still wasn't hitting her though; he kept staring at her eyes, waiting for the moment that he knew would come.  Her eyes started getting angry, and he knew she was about to lose control again.  She charged him again, not paying any attention to defense, thinking only about hitting him.  She swung and missed; he hit her with an open palm in the middle of her stomach, knocking her into the wall.  As she slid down the wall in disbelief, he ran over.  "Akane, that blow should never have gotten through.  Do ya see what I mean about losing control?  If you want me to take you seriously, you can't lose your temper like that," Ranma said.  Akane just glared at him.

"Go away, leave me alone!" she screamed at him.  Ranma looked at her, and then shook his head.

"Fine, I finally did what you wanted and hit you for real, and this is the thanks I get?  Forget it," he replied with some heat.  He turned and started walking out of the dojo.  Before he got to the door, he heard a voice calling from behind him.

"Ranma, wait" Akane cried.

He turned, and looked at her coldly.  "Why should I?" he asked.

"Because you were right, and I was wrong," she said, "I asked you to teach me to be better, and when you tried to tell me what I was doing wrong, I didn't want to listen.  Can we start over, please?"

"I'll think about it.  Don't misunderstand me; there is nothing wrong in getting angry about something.  Your problem is that you let your anger control you.  I used to be like that too, but I learned quickly that I couldn't lose control if I wanted to win.  I had to learn that the hard way, so I was trying to be gentler with you," he said.

Nabiki had been listening intently.  "How did you learn to stay in control, then?" she asked, "It's obvious that you have a temper, too."

"Like I said, the hard way.  We didn't come straight here from Jusenkyo.  We stopped over for about a month in a village in China, where we were told there was an expert in the curses.  Women mostly populated the village; in fact, they called themselves Amazons.  They have several traditions about dealing with strangers.  One of them is that if an outsider woman challenges them and beats them in a fight, then to regain their honor, they must kill the outsider.  Since they treated their men like dirt, I stayed as a girl the entire time I was there.  I discovered then that I wasn't the best martial artist.  One of the elders, named Cologne, would have beaten me handily.  She was the expert on curses so I spent a lot of time with her.  She trained me in at least thinking a bit before I opened my mouth, as well.  Every time I would mouth off to her, she would hit me on the head with that stupid cane of hers.  Even I could learn from that.  Fortunately for me, I spent most of the first three weeks dealing with her, before she let me run free in the village, or I probably would be dead now.  I kept getting insulted by the women of the village, trying to get me to lose my temper and challenge them.  If I had given in and fought, I would have been in a bad situation.  Finally, we were able to sneak away and come here," Ranma said, "That's how I learned to be polite, and to try to control my mouth.  Akane, I get just as angry as you do, but if I had given in to that anger in the Amazon village, I wouldn't be talking to ya now.  You may never be in a situation as bad as that, but you still need to learn control.  Promise me that you'll listen to what I am saying and think about it before ya get angry," he said.

"Do you promise to fight me for real, if I listen to you?" Akane pleaded.

"I'll try, but I don't want to hurt you.  Akane, I could really hurt ya if I'm not careful.  You saw what happened when I hit ya this time.  That wasn't anywhere near as hard as I can hit, ya know.  You're gonna end up with a lot of bruises," Ranma replied.

"I can live with that," Akane said as she smiled happily.

The next morning, Ranma waited for Kuno to attack him.  He deliberately let several opportunities to finish the fight go by.  He wanted Akane to see Kuno's level of skill.  He barely missed getting hit by Kuno's bokken on several occasions.  Akane gasped when Kuno chopped down several of the trees in the schoolyard, using only his bokken.  If Kuno had fought her like this, she wouldn't have survived against him.  Ranma was right.  Finally, Ranma got fed up, and knocked Kuno out.  Akane ran over to him, and said, "I see what you mean about Kuno, if he wanted to fight me for real, I wouldn't have lasted long against him."

The rest of the week went peacefully, or as peacefully as Ranma ever got.  He learned to carry a thermos of hot water in his backpack.  Ranma and Akane would race to school to see which one got the privilege of beating on Kuno.  Surprisingly, the hordes of boys stopped bothering Akane and they had gotten the message about Ranma.  Ranma and the girls would spend a portion of the afternoon practicing in the dojo.  Akane was beginning to show signs of improvement; apparently she had gotten the message.  Surprisingly, Kasumi seemed to be doing well.  Nabiki wouldn't take it seriously, so she didn't get any better at all.  Akane and Ranma would study the school lessons and do the homework for that day.  They were still hot headed, and argued, but at least he was learning.


	5. To Date Akane

Chapter 5 To Date Akane

Then came Saturday.  Akane spent several hours Saturday looking for the right outfit to wear.  She just about drove Kasumi crazy trying to find just the right thing.  This was her first real date and she wanted it to go right, even if it was just Ranma.  Finally she settled on something, and came downstairs where Ranma was waiting for her.  He was wearing one of his nicer outfits, one she had helped him pick out at the store the day before.

Ranma gazed at her as she came downstairs.  His eyes widened as he saw how pretty she looked.  Nabiki saw his reaction, and said to him in a low voice, "Like what you see, huh?"  He just blushed, and then nodded his head, not quite trusting his voice.  Nabiki elbowed him, and hissed, "Say something nice, you jerk!"

"Akane, that dress looks good on you, you look very nice," Ranma finally managed to say.  Akane blushed, thinking 'He actually complimented me!  Maybe this won't be too bad after all.'

Akane and Ranma left the house and headed toward the restaurant that she had selected.  They walked along without speaking for a while, Ranma deep in thought.  Finally, Ranma gulped, and said again, "You sure look beautiful tonight, Akane."

Akane blushed, and then replied, "Thank you Ranma, you look nice tonight too.  I'm flattered you're wearing the outfit I helped you with."  'Another compliment, is he starting to like me,' she wondered.  Ranma just smiled.  They entered the restaurant and got seated at the table.

After ordering shrimp tempura for the both of them, Ranma started telling her about some of what he had seen and done during his ten years of traveling with his father.  She listened in fascination as he described some of the training he had endured.  Then she asked, "Ranma, how did you turn out the way you did?  I know you figured out that your father wasn't the best role model, but how?"

"Ya know, we left a bunch of the schools in a hurry, often in the middle of the night.  Well, once I was old enough to notice that, I realized he wasn't the most honest person in the world.  I started trying to pay attention to what else wasn't making sense between what he said, and what I was seeing.  I remember a couple of schools in particular.  The first one had two senseis, one a man and the other his wife.  They shared equal responsibility for training.  They also shared the decision-making.  That kinda proved that Pop was wrong about women being weaker.  It also showed me that there was more to being a martial artist than just learning techniques.  That part of being a martial artist was taking responsibility for my actions.  The other school I remember was one we didn't stay long at.  It was run by an assistant master of Kamiya Kas – something, I forget the rest.  She was a woman with a strong sense of honor and responsibility as well.  And I told ya about the Amazon women, before.  One of the things I did because of those experiences was to start a journal where I wrote down the scams, and outright thefts that I found out about, with the eventual idea of trying to make amends," he said, "I guess that's why I turned out the way I did.  I was able to find some better role models to pattern myself after."  Then he began to describe some more of his adventures.  She listened to what he was saying and lost herself in his eyes.

She could tell however that there were some things he was still hiding from her.  After a while, she opened up and began to describe some of her life to him.  He heard a tale of a close knit family, devastated by the death of their mother, the dissolution of the strong man who had been her father, the slow changing of her sisters from the playmates of her childhood to the people they were today, heard the sorrow in her voice as she described how much she missed the way her life used to be.  He wished there was some way that he could remove the pain that he heard.

"Akane, I wish I had met your mother before she died.  She sounds like a wonderful person.  The fact that the three of you have managed to turn out so well shows me how well she must have raised you.  All three of you are so different, but there is still the same inner strength that I can sometimes see.  You must have gotten your inner fire from her.  It's what makes you the person that you are.  And then, all three of you have the same smile, one that really lights up your face," he said.

"Thanks Ranma, I loved my mother a great deal.  I wish she had met you too, I know she would have liked you.  And your right, knowing her even as short a time as it was, I can see some of her in both my sisters," she said softly.

"Akane, I envy you.  I wish I'd known my mother; yours sounds so wonderful.  The three of you must take after her a lot," Ranma said finally, "she must have been lovely."

Akane sat there for a moment, and then said, "Sounds like you feel like you missed a big portion of your life not having your mother with you.  Was all the traveling really worth it?"

"I used to think so, but that was before I met you three.  Like I said, I wish I had known my Mom, Pop doesn't talk about her, I think she may be dead, "he replied.  He sat there looking slightly sad.  Akane wished that there was some way she could have cheered him up.

They began to hear some music in the background.  They looked up and noticed that there was a small dance floor tucked away in one corner of the room and a music group had just started playing some dance music.  Several couples were already out on the dance floor, slow dancing together.  Akane looked wistfully at the couples, eyes misting just a bit.

Ranma said, "Akane, I'm not very good at dancing, but, I mean, if ya want, I'd like to try with you."

Akane's eyes widened.  She nodded, almost shyly, as Ranma helped her out of the chair and they walked over to the dance floor.  Ranma put his arm around her waist, (a bit nervously to be sure) and held her as they began to dance.  At first, they were a bit stiff together, but once they got past the initial awkwardness, they began to move gracefully around the floor.  Akane rested her head against his chest and thought to herself, 'Why does he think he's no good at this?  He's very graceful.'  When the music finally stopped, after several slow dance tunes, she found herself reluctant to let him go.  He smiled gently, and led her back to the table.

"Ranma, thank you.  You did a fine job.  Why do you think you're no good at dancing?" she asked.

He gallantly answered, "I think it had everything to do with my partner.  It's easy to dance with you."

'Is he flirting with me?' Akane thought in shock.

He hesitated, and then asked, "You 'bout ready to go?"  She nodded.  He paid the restaurant bill and helped her out of her chair.  They left the restaurant.  As they walked down the street heading toward the movie theater, Ranma got splashed with water, triggering the change.  Ranma just turned to Akane, shrugged her shoulders, and said, "Sorry about this, Akane, I was having fun talking to ya, but I guess this ends the evening."

Akane thought to herself, 'It's still Ranma.' "No, that's ok, Ranma, that outfit still looks okay on you.  We can still go to the movie," she said.  "Though, maybe we ought to go see a chick flick, now," she said with a giggle.

Ranma mock growled at her, "Very funny, very funny.  Whatever you want to see is okay so long as it doesn't get too mushy."  They reached the theater, found a movie they both agreed on, and went in.  After the movie was over, they left the theater and started home.  They walked past an ice cream shop; Ranma grabbed Akane's hand and pulled her inside.  They ordered a couple of ice cream sundaes.  When they came, Ranma said, "This is one advantage of being a girl.  Pop said boys can't eat this stuff, and I really like them."

Akane just giggled, and then said, "You mean boys can't eat ice cream?"

"Naw, we can eat ice cream, he just taught me that I can't eat sundaes and parfaits, things like that.  Those are for girls, anyways that's what he says," Ranma said with a smile.

"Well, we know how accurate his opinions on girls is, don't we?" she replied, rolling her eyes.  Both girls giggled, and then left the shop and headed home.

Ranma walked beside her for a moment, apparently deep in thought.  Then she stopped.  "Akane, have we become friends?" she asked wistfully.

Akane hesitated, and then hugged Ranma.  "Yes Ranma, we are friends, I meant it when I asked you before, and nothing's changed that," she replied forcefully.  Then she grabbed Ranma's hand and held it the rest of the way home.

As they were about to enter the gate to the house, Akane stopped him.  "Ranma, this has been a wonderful evening.  I glad you asked me out.  Promise me, we'll do this again sometime," she said.

Ranma gazed into her eyes, and said, "I'm glad we did this too, 'kane.  It's so much easier to talk to you without all of the distractions.  Between school and everything, we don't always get a chance to talk.  When you asked if I wanted to be friends the first day we met, that meant a lot to me.  I never want to lose that with you."  Akane gazed at her for a long time it seemed, and then sighed.

Akane led the way into the house, where they met her sisters.  They dragged her off upstairs.  Ranma sighed, went into the bathroom and changed.  Then he headed outside to sit on the roof and think.  He stared into the peaceful night sky, looking at all of the stars.

An hour or so later, Akane finally managed to get rid of her sisters.  They had wanted to find out everything about the date.  She still was blushing from some of the comments that Nabiki had made.

"Yo, Akane," a low voice said.

Startled, she said, "Who's there?"

Ranma replied, "Just me, Ranma.  I didn't mean ta scare ya.  I was just up here gazing at the sky.  I like it out here sometimes; it gives me a chance ta think.  Ya want ta join me?"

"Sure, how do I get out there?" Akane asked.

"Just climb out the window, I'll pull ya up," he replied.

She did as he asked, and he pulled her up to the roof.  He led her over to a blanket that he had spread out on the tiles.  They sat down.  She stared at the sky for a while, and then said, "You're right.  It's pretty and peaceful out here, I can see why you like it."

"Yeah, I always liked staring into the night sky when we were on the trail.  It helped me think.  Akane, I'm sorry I ended up changing into a girl on our date, there was something that I wanted to do," he said.  He gazed at her intently; she turned her head to look at him.  Her eyes got big when she realized what he had meant.  She leaned over and closed the distance between them, brushing her lips with his.  They both blushed, and drew back.  "Thanks, 'kane.  I'm glad my first kiss was with you.  You're my closest friend, after all," he said.

Akane said, "Ranma, I'm glad my first real kiss was with you, too.  I know this was supposed to be a 'just friends' date, but I wanted to end my first real date with a kiss, too.  I'm still not ready to be anything more than just friends, though.  Is that okay?  Remember, I'm still supposed to hate boys."  She giggled.

"This was my first date, too, 'kane.  I wanted it to end the right way as well.  I'm not looking for anything else yet, either, so friends is fine with me," he said.  Then he yawned.  "Sorry, I guess I getting pretty sleepy.  Ya ready for me to take ya back inside?"  She nodded, not trusting her voice.  He grabbed the blanket, picked her up in his arms and lightly jumped down to the ground.  He led her into the house.  They quietly went upstairs to their respective rooms and went to sleep.


	6. The Real Kasumi

Chapter 6 The Real Kasumi

The next morning, on Sunday, everyone finished another wonderful breakfast fixed by Kasumi.  While not the most sensitive person in the world, Ranma had thought he had sensed something about Kasumi, something that seemed off-key.  He helped bring the dishes from the dining platform into the kitchen, and then began helping Kasumi wash the dishes.  After they finished, Kasumi began doing the laundry.  Ranma stood there for a while watching her work, and then let his eyes wander around the kitchen.  He saw a pleasant, but sterile room, with a shelf full of books.  He noticed that while most of them were cookbooks, there were several well-read medical books, including some on psychology.  He thought about that for a moment, and then he became curious about something.  "Kasumi," he asked, "What do you do for fun?  I mean, every time I see ya; you're doing some sort of housework.  Isn't there anything else that you would rather be doing?"

Kasumi stopped what she was doing.  "Oh, my," she said, "I guess I really hadn't thought about it.  Aside from my reading, and now our training sessions, I guess I don't do anything else."  She started looking a bit sad.

"Damn, I didn't mean to upset you, Kasumi.  You need to get out of the house for something besides shopping.  I think what you need is for an attractive young man like myself to take you for a walk," Ranma said, with a smile.  With that he took the apron off of Kasumi, folded it neatly, and then took her hand and led her out of the kitchen.

As the two of them walked past Nabiki, Kasumi asked politely, "Nabiki, we're going out for a walk.  Could you and Akane work on the laundry?  I decided that I needed a break, I'm kind of tired of being the servant."  Nabiki looked at her in shock as they walked hand in hand out of the house.

Once they reached the park, they sat down on one of the benches overlooking the lake.  They sat there in peace, listening to the birds sing, the children play, the couples rowing on the lake or walking hand in hand through the park.  Slowly, Kasumi began to relax, soaking in the beauty of the day around her.

Ranma waited for a while, and then asked, "Kasumi, why do you hide your skill in martial arts?"

Kasumi looked shocked, surprised that he had already noticed.  "What do you mean by that?" she said stalling for time.

"It's been obvious to me that you continued to train.  You've been trying to hide it when we practice, but I've seen too many signs.  Even when you're just cleaning house or walking, there are signs," he replied.

"I never gave it up, I just train by myself when no one is around.  I was afraid that Akane would never learn enough self-control to ever be able to inherit the school, so I felt that our family honor required me to stay proficient.  I don't want to take that away from her, it's not what I want to do with my life.  I've managed to keep it a secret from everyone, hoping that she would learn and be the heir," she replied.

"I understand.  Akane wouldn't take your ability well.  I won't mention it, either.  She has made some progress, so there is hope for her.  I'm more worried about you right now, though.  Kasumi, how long has it been since you really enjoyed what you were doing?" Ranma asked gently.

Kasumi didn't appear to hear him, but eventually she said, "I guess not since Mother was alive.  She made me promise to take care of everyone.  I had to grow up so fast after that I forgot about how to live.  I guess I was there for everybody else, and forgot about me.  I've turned into a shell of a person." She started to cry.  Ranma looked uncomfortable, and then slowly folded her into his arms.  Gradually, she began to hold him back, crying on his shoulder.  He sat there holding her, allowing her to cry herself out, hoping that she wouldn't end up hating him for making her cry.

Finally, she sat up, releasing him.  He let her go, and handed her his handkerchief.  She dried her eyes, and then said, "Ranma, I'm sorry that I broke down like that, it won't happen again."

"That's what friends are for, you did the same for me, remember.  Kasumi, I think you've been holding your emotions in check for too long a time.  From what your sisters told me, you've always been the strength of this family.  Everyone turns to you for comfort, but that doesn't give you anybody to turn to.  If you ever need someone to talk to, or to hold you while you cry, that's the least I can do," Ranma said.

"Thanks, Ranchan, I could use a friend, I don't really have that many.  Most of the people I knew in high school are long gone, and I guess I was starting to feel old, and used up," Kasumi replied.

"No problem, Kasumi-chan," Ranma said, with a smile, 'Ranchan, starting to get a bit comfortable with me, isn't she?'  "Besides, you're not that old, you're just nineteen, with a lot of life ahead of you.  Now, if you could find the time, is there something that you really want to do that you have been putting off?" he asked.

"Yes, I've always wanted to go to college.  I've been fascinated by medicine and healing for as long as I can remember.  I've been borrowing books from Dr. Tofu, but that's really not enough," she said.

"Promise me you'll also do fun stuff, like going to a movie, or out dancing, or something?" he asked.  She nodded, and then giggled.  He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry, I'm just not used to having an overprotective brother," she said.

He smiled, "That's the nicest thing I have heard in a long time, Kasumi-chan."  She started giggling again.  "I guess my work here is done," he said tongue in cheek, "We probably need to get home, I need to talk to your sisters."

They walked back home, Kasumi feeling much better; she actually began to feel like a young woman again.  When they got home, they found the girls finishing hanging the laundry out to dry.  "Why don't you go relax in the furo, Kasumi-chan?  We can finish this up," Ranma suggested.  Kasumi thought for a second, smiled, and then headed into the house.

"Kasumi-chan?" Nabiki asked with a smirk.

"She started it, but she's starting to feel too old.  Calling her Kasumi-chan should remind her she's still pretty young after all.  She's starting to feel a little taken for granted too, so it wouldn't hurt to thank her for what she does," Ranma said.

"Ok, spill it, what else is wrong with Kasumi?  Where'd you go?" Nabiki asked.

"We went for a walk, and then ended up in the park watching life go by.  She looked a little down to me so I asked her if she was happy.  She said she isn't.  She feels like she had to grow up entirely too fast, and doesn't have time for a life anymore.  She also wants to go to college to study, but feels like she can't get away from the house.  I thought maybe if we picked up more of the housework, maybe when the semester starts, she can go," Ranma said, "I also think she might enjoy an afternoon of goofing off, maybe shopping or something with the two of you.  What do you think?"

"That might not be a bad idea.  She would have some fun doing that.  We'll take her, but on one condition, the four of us girls make an outing of it.  You need some things too you know!" Nabiki said, with an evil smile.

Ranma glared at her for a moment, and then said, "If it will make Kasumi happy."

Akane looked at Nabiki, then they both nodded.  "I think if we just assign some of the chores to everyone, we can get the housework done.  We also need to keep up the training as well.  Even you, Nabiki, you looked like you were beginning to enjoy it," Ranma said.

"Yeah, once my muscles stopped hurting, I thought I was in better shape than that, you sadist," Nabiki growled.

"Kasumi was going to go soak, I bet she would like some company," Ranma said, "Why don't you two join her?  We're about done here, and I can finish up the rest."

Author's Notes:

Thanks for all of the reviews.  I hope you have enjoyed the story so far.  I'm sorry it did get a little Akane-centric, but that was kind of the law of unintended consequences.  I needed to set up a few things, and the chapters kind of wrote themselves in this order.  The other girls will start to get more play as the story goes on.  


	7. Nabiki Gets Caught

Author' note: This is a repost to correct a few typos.

Chapter 7 Nabiki gets caught

The next Monday morning, Ranma came down and went in to the bathroom to take a bath.  He made sure that the sign was out showing he was in the room.  After rinsing himself off, he went to soak in the furo for a few minutes.  He was a bit sore still from sparring with his father from the night before.  Finally he was done, he was standing up in the tub, about to get out, when Akane walked in.  He stared at her naked body; she stared at his.  His nose started to bleed.  They grabbed their towels and covered themselves up, then blushed.  Ranma didn't know what to say, so he just ran by her into the changing room and shut the door.  After getting dressed, he helped Kasumi by setting the table, and then he sat down at the dining platform.  Akane came out of the bathroom; her face still flushed, and sat down next to him.  He looked at her, but didn't say a word, he wasn't sure if she was angry, embarrassed, or a combination of both.

"Ranma, I'm sorry, I guess I was in too much of a hurry this morning and didn't see the sign.  I guess I must be a pervert," Akane said, then she giggled.

Ranma smiled, relieved.  "Akane No Baka," he teased, "Don't worry about it, remember I grew up on the road, so I ain't real body conscious, besides ya already know what I look like anyway.  This isn't the first time this has happened, remember."  Akane blushed.

"We better hurry and eat or we'll be late for school," she said.

A few minutes later, they jumped up, got their bentos, and schoolbooks, and ran off.  Kasumi looked at Nabiki, and said, "Will you stop hiding the sign, Nabiki?  It was funny the first time, but it's getting old.  If you keep doing that, it might hurt their relationship, or are you trying to get Ranma for yourself.  I have to admit, though, I was a real surprised with Akane.  I really thought she would get mad."

"Maybe she liked what she saw," Nabiki smirked.  Kasumi looked shocked at her sister, then giggled, turning bright red.

'Man, this is going to be rough at lunch', Ranma thought to himself, just a little bit angry, 'Where do they get off asking all of these questions?  It was just a friendly date, after all,' looking at the huge pile of notes on his desk that he had received.  It looked like his pile was almost as large as the one on Akane's desk.  He could tell by the steam rising from the back of her neck, that she was furious.  'I really don't want to know what they asked her, do I?' he thought.  For the first time in his life, he really wished that there wasn't a lunch time period.

'I thought these were my friends, what kind of perverts are they?' fumed Akane, 'Lunch is going to be embarrassing.  It was just a date,' looking at the huge pile of notes on her desk that she had received.  It looked like her pile was almost as big as the one on Ranma's desk.  She could tell by the steam rising from the back of his neck, that he was furious.  'I really don't want to know what they asked him, do I?' she thought.

At lunch, Ranma tried to hide, but several of the boys tracked him down and began pestering him with questions.  The politest was "How was the date?" but he really started to lose it when several of the guys asked him, "How far did you get?"  He blew up then, completely losing his cool.

"What kind of girl do you think Akane is?" was the most coherent thing he could say, "What kind of perverts are you?  It was just a date."  The fury in his voice drove them all away.  Under his voice, he said, "Why would they think I would want to do something like that with her now, anyway?"  He heard a gasp, and looked up to see Akane.  'Man, that is so not what I meant to say,' he thought as he got hammered by her mallet.

"Ranma, no baka," she screamed.

"That's not what I meant it to sound like," he said weakly as he slumped to the ground.

That afternoon, Kuno confronted Ranma as he left the school building with Akane.  "Hold, varlet, I, Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman, the undefeated champion, the Rising Star of Furinkan High School, also known as the Blue Thunder, must chastise you for your vile conduct with the Fair Akane Tendo," Kuno orated.  He looked pained because the thunder missed its cue.

"Shut up, Kuno.  How many times do I have ta tell people nothing happened.  Why would anyone think so little of Akane that they would even believe any of the rumors I have heard?" Ranma asked angrily.  Kuno charged him, swinging his bokken.  Ranma dodged, screaming_ "_Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken", hitting Kuno so fast that his hands seemed to blur.  Suddenly, Ranma noticed that several photographs of Akane had fallen out of Kuno's robes.  He knocked Kuno back several feet, but lost concentration after seeing the pictures.

Akane screamed, "Watch out, Ranma!"  He looked up to se that Kuno had regathered his wits, as few as they were, and was about to attack him again.  Ranma exploded into action, though not without receiving a blow from Kuno's bokken.  Ignoring the pain in his arm, he slammed Kuno into a tree, knocking him out.  Then he started picking up all of the pictures.

Akane ran over, "What happened to you, Baka?  He could have seriously hurt you?" she asked worriedly.

Ranma said, "He dropped these as we were fighting.  I got distracted.  Thanks for the warning," as he showed her the photographs.

"Nabiki," Akane said in disgust.

"Yeah, Nabiki," Ranma agreed.

Ranma and Akane walked upstairs, after coming home from school, to Nabiki's room.  Ranma knocked on the open door.  Nabiki looked up from her desk where she was working on her homework.  Her face froze when she saw the expressions on their faces.  Keeping her emotions under control, the Ice Queen of Furinkan High School asked in a flat, expressionless voice, "What do you two want?  I'm a little busy right now."

"How about an explanation for these," Akane hissed, dropping a set of photographs on her desk.

After flipping through the pictures, Nabiki said, "They look like some pretty tasteful, flattering photographs of you and Ranma's girl form."

"Yeah, we know what they are.  What we want to know is why Kuno had them," Akane growled, getting even angrier.  Nabiki started to get a little worried.

"Kuno paid good money for them.  I've been selling candid shots like this of you since almost the beginning of the school year.  He asked me for pictures of the pigtailed girl Monday.  It's strictly a business deal, and frankly, we needed the money.  I didn't see any harm in them since there's nothing Hentaii about them," Nabiki said evenly.

"Didn't ya realize you were just feeding his obsession about us?" Ranma asked, "We're both disappointed in you, Nabiki.  It's bad enough you did it to me; did you ever stop to think about how Akane would feel?  Couldn't ya at least ask?  You used us both, and that's getting close to a line that I didn't think ya wanted to cross.  Are there any more of these out there?"

Nabiki hesitated, and then answered, "Uh, yes, some of the girls wanted pictures of you working out.  I took some while you were exercising in the dojo.  They paid a lot of yen for them."

"Well, we want you to stop doing it.  I don't know how Akane really feels about it, but what you did to me feels entirely too much like some of the things Pop would pull.  I didn't like it when he did it then, and I don't like it now.  I thought you were a friend and friends don't do that," Ranma said.

"I'm nothing like your father," Nabiki protested.

"Not in my opinion," Akane said, still with some heat, "I agree with Ranma.  While you haven't done anything that dishonors us yet, Kuno would eventually want Hentaii pictures.  Do you think that I want to star in any of his perverted fantasies?  What you did hurt me and it's going to take me a while to trust you again!  The fact that the money was used to provide for the family is the only reason I haven't slapped you silly.  The other thing that we wanted to tell you is to stop messing with the occupied sign.  Neither of us appreciates someone walking in on us while we are bathing.  If I had wanted him in there, I would have invited him.  It's been very embarrassing to have it happen as many times as it has.  How would you have felt if you had walked in on Ranma and seen each other?"

Nabiki thought to herself, 'Actually, that doesn't sound too bad,' as a vision of Ranma popped up in her mind.  Nabiki said, "I don't think I'm going to answer that.  I just meant it as a joke the first time; I didn't realize Ranma was a guy.  The other times I did it on purpose.  You've been so hung up on this whole perverted boy thing, so I thought this might make you more comfortable.  Kasumi already told me it was a bad idea and made me promise to stop.  I wasn't thinking, I guess, I'm sorry I embarrassed you."

Akane stared at her sister for a long moment, and then said, "Thanks, sis," then she turned and left.  Nabiki looked a question as Ranma turned and shut the door.

"I had a few other things I wanted to talk to you about," Ranma said.  "For starters, why are you so jealous of Akane?" he asked bluntly.

Nabiki thought, 'Damn, how does he do that?'  She narrowed her eyes, and then asked, "Why do you think I'm jealous of Akane?"

"You're not as hard to read as you think, Nabiki.  Even though ya have this Ice Queen front that ya hide behind, you're still easier to read than Kasumi.  Some of the things ya did, like the photos, and the stunt with the bathroom, and some of the rumors that ya seem ta have spread, makes me pretty sure there's something going on," Ranma replied.

"It will cost you a lot, Ranma, to find out," Nabiki said, "I don't open up about myself for free."

"Tell ya what, I won't ask for the money ya made off the fights and the photos, and we'll call it even," Ranma said with a smile.

'How come I keep underestimating him,' Nabiki thought.  "Okay, that's a deal.  You're right, I guess I am a little jealous of Akane.  She's always been the baby of the family, so life didn't change as drastically for her as it did for Kasumi and me.  Since Father fell apart after Mother died, I've had to do a lot of things to earn enough money to keep the bills paid.  It didn't start out that way, but eventually I've had to do some things that are borderline illegal.  Because of that, I had to create the Ice Queen and be pretty cold.  That doesn't allow me to make any friends, and I shut everyone out.  I'm a good-looking girl, but almost everyone is afraid of me now.  It wasn't so bad last year, but then this year Akane came to the high school and she became one of the most popular girls on campus.  It wasn't fair, and I did some things that I'm ashamed of now.  I didn't start any of the rumors about her, though, I just didn't try too hard to stop them," she said sadly, "And then you came into our life, a fiancé, possibly for me.  And then you weren't really interested in any of us that way, and that hurt."

"Ya still helped out though.  Ya came through with several good plans, like the one to keep our fathers off our backs, and then the one to get all of the boys to leave Akane alone.  I never really thanked ya for that.  I have to admit that I haven't tried real hard to get to know ya.  If it's not to late, I'd like to get to know the Nabiki behind the mask," Ranma said, "If ya ever need a friend ta talk ta, or a shoulder ta cry on, I'd like ta be there for ya.  You do have at least one friend."

Nabiki smiled the first genuine smile that Ranma though he had ever seen from her.  "Thanks, Ranma, I need that.  I was seeing how close you were getting with my sisters and that was beginning to bother me."  She reached out and hugged him.

Ranma held her for a few minutes.  Nabiki found herself enjoying the warmth of his arms.  Then reluctantly, she pulled herself away.  "Nabiki, I didn't mean to make you feel left out, and I don't want to come between any of you.  I should have known better, after all, you're not the only person to felt that they were all alone.  Before I fell in the spring, I was generally sure of Pop's approval, but since, all I've felt is that he's ashamed of me.  That and the fact that we never stayed anywhere long enough to make many real friends.  That's why you three girls are so important ta me.  I think of ya as my family and ya don't know how much that means ta me.  That brings me to the other thing I need ta talk ta ya about.  I need ya ta trace our footsteps while we were training to see what other scams and outright thefts that Pop may have committed.  I kept a journal for the last several years recording the ones I found out about and where we've been.  I want ya ta have that ta help track us down.  You'll also find out a few more things about me that I want ya to keep from Kasumi and Akane," he said.

"What kinds of things are in there?" Nabiki asked.

"Some of the training, some of my thoughts and feelings, things like that.  The things that made me some of what I am today.  I told Akane about most of it, but I hid a few things from her that I don't think she is ready for.  I will need your help with one of them, so ya need to know about it.  I'll need your help with Pop once we know what he's done," Ranma replied.

"What do you plan on doing once you know what he's done?" Nabiki asked.

"I don't know.  Where I can, I want to make amends.  I need to know what skeletons are in the past.  Maybe if we know what they are we can keep the from harming your family," Ranma replied, "I don't want anything bad ta happen, not if I can stop it."

"I'll see what I can come up with.  It'll take a while and cost you," she said.

Ranma said, with a grin, "What else is new?" as he turned and left.


	8. A Peaceful Day in Nerima

Chapter 8 A peaceful day in Nerima

Saturday dawned as one of those rare occasions in Nerima.  It promised to be a bright, sunny day, with just enough breezes to keep the day from being too warm.  Kasumi had taken that opportunity to hang some of the laundry out to dry.  As she was hanging the sheets out, she noticed Ranma practicing one of his katas over by the koi pond.  Because it was such a nice day, apparently, he had taken his shirt off, and was just wearing his black slacks.  She stood there lost in bemusement as she watched his muscles ripple across his chest as he exercised.  Her face began to show a faint tinge of pink.  'If only he were older,' she thought to herself, 'I really like it when he calls me Kasumi-chan.  Oh, my, what am I thinking, what about Tofu?'

Nabiki was sunning herself on the grass outside the dining area.  She was wearing one of her bikinis and was reading one of her mangas.  If anyone had been watching, however, they would have noticed that she hadn't turned a page in several minutes.  She wasn't sure where the sensation she was feeling was coming from, but she did know that she was enjoying the view.  'He really is a hunk, I know he has a lot of rough edges, but maybe,' she thought.  If that same someone had still been watching, they would have seen warm, brown eyes in Nabiki's face, instead of her normal ice cold expression.

Akane was sitting upstairs in her room, gazing down into the yard.  She was lost in thought, thinking about how much her life had changed since Ranma had come.  It hadn't been that long really, only a few weeks, and her life had been turned upside down.  Then a sound from outside caught her attention.  She looked up and saw Ranma working out.  She gazed at him, a feeling of warmth spreading over her body.  'He's not like the boys at school,' she thought, tenderly, 'Why do I feel so warm inside when I'm around him?'

Ranma finished his exercises, and grabbed his shirt and towel and headed toward the house. As he walked past, Nabiki said, "I found out some stuff about your Dad.  Why don't you take me out tonight and we can talk about it?"

Ranma thought about it for a while, and then said, "Sure, why not, Nabiki.  I'm gonna go clean up, I'm a bit ripe.  Can you tell Kasumi we won't be here for dinner?"  With that he headed toward the bathroom.

Nabiki went to find Kasumi.  "Sis, Ranma and I won't be home for dinner.  I have something to do and I needed an escort," Nabiki said.

Kasumi made no reaction for a moment, and then replied, "That's nice, Nabiki.  I hope you have a good time."  Nabiki thought there was something odd there, but decided not to pursue it.  She left to find the phone and call her favorite restaurant to let them know she was coming.

That evening, Nabiki came downstairs.  She was wearing one of her sexier evening dresses.  Nabiki smirked to herself, as she noticed the slight frost in her sisters' expressions.  Ranma took her arm and escorted her out to the waiting cab.  The taxi sped off heading to Chez Pierre, one of the more exclusive continental restaurants in Nerima.  Ranma and Nabiki sat there in companionable silence, though in a spirit of mischief, Nabiki had captured Ranma's hand and wasn't letting go.  She could tell that he was a bit uncomfortable because of that.  Once they got to the restaurant, Nabiki went to the hostess.  Within moments, they were seated at one of the smaller booths.

"Ranma, let me order the meal, please?" Nabiki asked,

"Sure, Nab-chan, I wouldn't know what was good here anyway," he replied.

'Nab-chan' she thought.  The waiter came by, bringing two glasses of wine.  Nabiki ordered the meal, and then took a sip of her wine.  Then she asked, "Ranma, why was holding hands bothering you?  You know that this is a date, don't you?"

Ranma hesitated, rubbing the back of his head in that nervous gesture she loved.  He said, "Er, yeah, I kinda knew it was a date.  I'm just surprised ya asked me out.  As far as ya holding my hand, I'm not sure why it bugged me.  Don't take this the wrong way, or anything, but it hasn't been all that long since we met.  I don't know if I'm ready for a girlfriend, yet.  I like ya and all, but not anymore than I like your sisters."  He took a small sip of his wine.  He wasn't like his Pop; he had no intention of ever getting drunk

Nabiki smiled at him, albeit a bit sadly.  "I'm not sure what I want either, Ranma.  You were right about me the first day we met.  When Father told us about the engagement, I was excited.  I thought maybe that I would have a chance with someone new, someone who didn't know my reputation.  I know that I act like a cold, manipulative bitch, but I'm not really like that inside.  But it's gotten to be such a habit, that it's kind of hard to break," she said softly.

"Nab-chan, I know that you're not really like that; that it's mostly an act.  I've seen what your eyes look like when you think no one is watching.  There's a lot of warmth in them, especially when you look at your sisters.  I'm impressed with how tough a person you are, that you've had to become to survive," he said.

The meal came at that moment.  Nabiki had ordered Tournedos Madeira for both of them.  They traded small talk for a while, both glad to be on safer topics.  Ranma wasn't sure he was ready for Nabiki to be so open.  Finally, she pulled an envelope out of her purse.  She opened it, and pulled out several sheets of paper.  "Ranma, this is what we've been able to find out so far.  It's not a pretty picture.  It looks like Gemna is wanted for questioning in several dozen towns in Japan, mostly minor thefts and running out on bills.  He was also named in a few breach of promise suits, but those were dismissed apparently," she said, "It's not too bad, though, money wise.  It only came to about a hundred thousand yen, if he was involved with all of the thefts.  It certainly could have been worse.  I'll give you a copy of the report.  What do you plan on doing with it?"

"I don't know.  If I ever find Mom, I'll give it to her.  Otherwise I'll have to decide what needs to happen to remove the stain on our honor.  Thanks for digging this stuff up, I owe ya," Ranma said.

Nabiki smirked.  "Yes you do.  That's one of the reasons we're here tonight.  Uh, do you want any dessert?" she asked, "They make a Banana's Foster to die for here."

"What's that, I don't think I've ever heard of it?" Ranma asked.

"It's basically carmalized bananas served over vanilla ice cream.  I've only had it a couple of times, but it's really good," she replied.

Ranma smiled, and said, "Sounds good to me."  The waiter came over to see if there was anything else.  Nabiki ordered the dessert.  A few minutes later, the waiter came out wheeling a cart over to their table.  Ranma watched in fascination as the waiter prepared the bananas and the sauce, particularly when the waiter flamed the brandy.  Once it was ready, the waiter served it over two bowls of vanilla ice cream.  Ranma and Nabiki slowly ate it, Ranma savoring each bite.  The waiter brought out the bill, Ranma paid for it, raising an eyebrow at how little it actually was.

As they left the restaurant, Ranma reached over and held Nabiki's hand.  She blushed in pleasure as they stood there waiting for their taxi.  Once it showed up, Ranma opened the door for Nabiki and helped her in.  Once he got in the car, he put his arm around her shoulder.  She laid her head against his shoulder and relaxed.  Once they got home, they got out and walked to the gate.  Nabiki stopped him from opening it.  She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.  Then she looked at him again, and kissed him rather thoroughly on the lips.  "Ranma, I really enjoyed this night.  I'd like to do it again sometime," she said.

He said, "I enjoyed it too.  I'd like that as well."  'I can't believe she kissed me,' he thought, 'What happened to the Ice Queen?'  He held her in a brief hug, and then opened the gate.  They walked up to the house and opened the door, where her sisters immediately pounced upon Nabiki.  They dragged her off, protesting, to the bathroom to soak in the furo.  Ranma just shook his head and went upstairs to bed.


	9. The Lost Boy

Chapter 9 The lost boy

The next morning Ranma woke up early for some reason.  His father was still fast asleep, so that wasn't the noise that had awakened him.  He shrugged, crawled out of the futon, and walked downstairs, making sure he missed the step that squeaked.  As was his custom, on those rare occasions when he woke up before everyone else, he walked into the kitchen, where he would find Kasumi and they would talk.  As always, no matter how early he woke, he found Kasumi making breakfast.  He watched her in fascination as she worked, magically it seemed turning the most mundane of ingredients into a wonderful meal.  She had been aware of his presence for some time, but was content to just be aware of his nearness.  Finally she was finished enough that she could take a brief pause.  She turned to look at her audience and smiled.  Ranma gulped, this was not the normal Kasumi smile.  This one seemed warmer; somehow, Kasumi seemed more aware of what was going on around her.  She asked, "Would you like some tea, Ranchan?"

Ranma replied, "Yes, Kasumi-chan, that would be nice."  Kasumi poured them both a cup of tea and they stood around the kitchen drinking it.  Ranma asked, "How do you do that, Kasumi-chan?  That was almost magical, the way you were preparing the food?"

"Thanks, Ranchan.  I appreciate the compliment, but it's really nothing," Kasumi replied, a slightly predatory smile appearing on her face, "What are you doing up so early, normally we have to pry you out of bed, though I have enjoyed the occasional morning chats we have had?"

"I don't know, something woke me up, so since I couldn't get back to sleep, I decided I would come down here to see if you needed any help.  When I got here though, I could tell that all I would do would be to get in your way," Ranma said, "Is there something I can do for you?"

Kasumi paused for a long time, an odd expression on her face.  Then she said, "Why don't you set the table, that would be a big help?"

Ranma got out the dishes and chopsticks and set the table.  Once he was done, he wandered back into the kitchen.  Kasumi said, "Ranchan, thanks for getting my sisters to help with the housework.  It's amazing how much more time I have for myself since they've pitched in.  I talked to Nabiki, and she thinks there is enough money for me to go to school a bit next semester.  All I need to do is convince Father that he can let me go."

"Your welcome, Kasumi-chan, I'm glad that it looks like things are going to work out for you.  I know you love your family very much, but its time you had a chance to do what you want to do," Ranma said.  He heard the sounds of the rest of the household beginning to stir.  He heard the sound of the door close as Akane went out to jog.  Soun wandered out to sit at the dining platform and picked up the paper to begin to read.  Kasumi took a cup of tea out to her father.

Eventually, every one gathered at the dining platform to eat.  Ranma sat in his usual spot, between Akane and Kasumi and across from Nabiki.  He felt a slight chill coming from Akane.  He noticed a slightly smug look on Nabiki's face.  Kasumi passed out the plates.  As she did, he couldn't help but notice that his plate seemed to have more food on it than anyone else.  He also had one more pickle than anyone else.  He looked at Kasumi; she had an innocent expression on her face.  Ranma began to sweat.  Something was going on here and it was beginning to worry him.  He decided to eat quickly and get out of the middle of the war zone.  He hoped that if he managed not to say anything, then he would get out alive.

Down the dusty street plodded a young man, carrying an enormous backpack with a large red umbrella strapped across the top, wearing a yellow bandana to keep his hair out of his eyes.  "Where am I, now?" he wondered out loud to himself.  He saw a couple of boys walking down the street, so he rushed over, grabbed one of them and slammed him against the wall.  "Where is Furinkan High School?" he growled, showing two fangs in his upper jaw.  The boy just pointed behind him.  He turned around; saw the gate in the wall, with the sign "Furinkan High School" beside it.  "Thank you," he said politely as he turned to run through the gate.

Ranma, Akane and Nabiki came walking out of the school, heading for home.  Ranma and Akane were good-naturedly arguing about what the teacher in the last class had meant, neither one taking it particularly seriously.  The occasional "Tomboy" and "Baka" punctuated the discussion.  Nabiki walked along lost in her own thoughts as she calculated how much money she would have after today's activities.  Kuno had lasted a shorter time than ever today, and no one had a bet for that length, so she had really cleaned up.  She actually had enough money that she could buy some more stock.  She thought it was really about to take off again.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, "Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!!!" rang out.  Ranma looked up to see an angry dark haired boy, wearing a yellow bandana, charging him, swinging a large red umbrella.  Ranma moved into the clear, away from all of the other students.

"Hey, man, who are you?" Ranma asked as he dodged the thrown umbrella, "What did I ever do to you?"

"Saotome, because of you I've seen hell!!" the boy exclaimed, throwing several razor sharp bandanas at him.  Ranma dodged them all, then closed in on him, pummeling him severely.  Akane walked over to the umbrella and tried to pick it up.  It wouldn't budge.

"Watch out Ranma, he's really strong!  This thing weighs a ton," Akane yelled.

The boy threw one more bandana at Ranma, and missed.  To Ranma's horror, it headed straight for Akane.  "Look out Akane!" he yelled.  Akane turned and it just missed hitting her.  Ranma saw red, 'Nobody hurts my Akane' he thought, 'My Akane? Never mind don't have time for this in the middle of a fight.'  He exploded into action, with one final effort; he threw the boy into the fountain.  As soon as the boy hit the water, he seemed to disappear.  Ranma and Nabiki ran over to the fountain, there they saw a small black pig wearing a yellow bandana, trying to free itself from some clothing.

Ranma picked the pig out of the water, while Nabiki got the clothing.  "Jusenkyo curse, I assume," Ranma said.  The pig stopped struggling.  Ranma looked around and saw a large backpack, pointing to it, he asked, "Yours?"  The pig nodded.  "Are you going to behave so I can help you change back?" He asked.  The pig glared at him, and then nodded.  Ranma grabbed the backpack, and then walked over to Akane.  As he got closer, he saw that she actually had been hit by the bandana, after all.  The end of her hair had been sheared off, and the hair with her ribbon tied around it was sitting on the ground.  Ranma reached down and picked up her hair.  "Sorry, Akane, I know how proud of your hair you were," he said sadly.  She looked at what he was holding in his hands and started sobbing.  Ranma picked up the umbrella and tied it to the backpack.  He glared at the pig, then said, "Let's go home, we need to talk to this guy and find out who he is and why he was trying to kill me."  With that, they headed home.

"Oh, My," Kasumi said as she saw Akane, "What happened to your hair?" Akane just ran to her and started crying on her shoulder.  Kasumi held her, and then took her upstairs.  Ranma took the umbrella off the pack, and then went into the bathroom, Nabiki following him.

Ranma glared at the pig, and then said," I don't know what you were thinking! True martial artists don't go around hurting other people, they protect the weak, not hurt them.  What you were doing could have been bad for any of the students.  If you want to go beat on me sometime, just tell me, I can take care of myself, but you have no right to endanger any one else! Do you understand me?"  The pig looked downcast for a moment, then nodded.

Nabiki said furiously, "You could have killed my sister, you sick jerk.  If you ever come close to hurting her again, I'm going to personally take you to the vet and get you fixed.  Do you understand me?"  The pig started looking scared.  Nabiki filled the pail with hot water.  "Put him down, Ranma," she growled.  Ranma dropped the pig, just as Nabiki threw the water on the pig.  He transformed into a nude boy lying on the floor, covering himself up as best he could.  Nabiki stood there glaring at him, then threw a towel and a change of clothes at him.  She spun on her heel and left, Ranma following.

Akane came downstairs, with her hair nicely trimmed.  "That style looks good on you, Akane, you should wear it that way," Ranma and Nabiki said at the same time.  They glanced at each other in surprise.  Akane smiled sadly.

"Where's the pig that did this?" Akane said.  At that moment, the boy walked out of the bathroom.  Akane started glaring at him.  He stopped when he heard what Akane said.  His eyes grew big.

"Gomen nasai," he said, bowing to Akane.  She would have hit him, except Ranma grabbed her arm.  He shook his head, as if to say 'not now'.

"Ok, who are you anyway?" Nabiki demanded.

"Ranma, you don't remember me, do you?" the boy asked.  Ranma looked at him, stared into space for a while, obviously trying to remember, and then shook his head.

"Not a clue," he admitted, "Sorry."

"I'm Ryoga Hibiki, does that name mean anything to you?" said Ryoga.

"Ryoga, hm, nope, it doesn't ring any,  wait a minute, that boy's school, just before we left for China to train, you were the guy that I would walk to school 'cause you had no sense of direction," Ranma said excitedly, "Yeah, now I remember you.  I haven't seen you since we left.  How come you were attacking me?  I thought we were friends."

"What kind of friend runs out on a fight?" Ryoga responded.

"Fight, that's right, the one we were supposed to have in the vacant lot.  I didn't run away.  I stayed there three days waiting for you.  I would still be there if I hadn't been so sleepy that Pop knocked me out.  He got tired of waiting.  The next thing I knew, we were on a boat to China," Ranma retorted, "What happened to you anyway?"

Ryoga said, "I showed up on the fourth day, you should have been there."

"But it was next to your house, how could you get that lost?" Ranma replied.  The girls couldn't believe it.  He really had no sense of direction.

"Anyway, when you weren't there, I followed you, always one step behind.  My life is hell because of you.  I followed you to Jusenkyo, and was standing on a cliff overlooking the valley of springs below, when suddenly a panda ran by being chased by a red-haired girl.  I jumped to get away from the panda and fell into a spring.  When I crawled out, I was a pig.  Somebody found me, and carried me to a hut.  They were going to cook me, so they threw me in a pot of boiling water.  I changed back of course.  It's all your fault, so I came to kill you," Ryoga said angrily.

Nabiki said, "I don't see how you can blame Ranma.  You're the one who missed the appointment for the fight, and you're the one who chased Ranma to Jusenkyo.  You fell in the spring, granted the panda startled you, but that's still your fault."

"NO, it's all his fault, my life is ruined because of him!" Ryoga said angrily.

"I'm lucky I'm not seriously hurt.  If Ranma hadn't yelled, that bandana probably would have hit me.  That would have been your fault," Akane growled, starting to get angry again.  She pulled her mallet out of thin air and began to swing.

"Stop Akane, not in the house, remember!" Nabiki said, "It's so hard to get the bloodstains out."  Akane blushed; the boy cowered.  Her mallet disappeared.  "I'm Nabiki Tendo, the mallet-wielding one is my sister Akane, and the other girl you saw is my sister Kasumi."

The boy bowed formally, "I'm Ryoga Hibiki, sorry to have met you under these circumstances.  I guess I better leave."  With that he walked out the front door and disappeared.


	10. The Black Rose

Author's Note:  Reposted to fix a few grammatical mistakes.

Chapter 10 The Black Rose

Ranma was pretty disgusted.  She had almost made it the entire day again without being splashed, and then as she was passing that old lady, she had gotten wet.  She was almost home when she overheard the sound of a fight.  She turned the corner and discovered three girls in Furinkan High School uniforms being attacked by a girl in a leotard.  Ranma rushed over and snatched the ribbons out of the girl's hands and threw her to the ground.  "I don't know who you are, but these girls are hurt pretty bad.  There's no excuse for what you are doing!" she cried.

"I am the Black Rose of St. Hebereke High School, I answer to no common trash like you," the girl cried.  She jumped up and disappeared, leaving a trail of black roses behind her.

"Who was that?" Ranma asked.

"That was the captain of the St. Hebereke Martial Arts Gymnastics team.  We're what's left of the Furinkan team.  We're supposed to have a match with them next weekend, and now we'll have to forfeit unless we can find someone to take our place," one of the girls said.

"We're almost to Dr. Tofu's clinic.  Come with me there and he can take a look at your injuries.  Maybe they're not as bad as you think," Ranma replied.  She helped the three girls stagger over to Dr. Tofu's clinic.  They met Akane entering the clinic.  She was returning a book that Kasumi had borrowed.

Akane asked, "What happened to you three?" 

The leader of the group explained how the girl from St. Hebereke had attacked them, saying, "They have never lost a match, but that's because the other team has to forfeit.  Looks like we'll have to do the same, since there's no one left on our team."

"Let me do it," Akane volunteered.

All of the girls got excited and happy.  Ranma looked startled.  Akane and Ranma left the three girls in the capable hands of Dr. Tofu.  Ranma waited until the girls went into the exam room and then borrowed some hot water.  After changing back, they headed home.  As they entered the dojo, Ranma asked, "Do you know anything about Martial Arts Gymnastics?"

"No, but how hard can it be?" Akane replied.

Akane started practicing with the various pieces of equipment, the clubs, the ribbons and the hoops.  Nothing went where she wanted it to, and she began to get frustrated.  Ranma tried to help, but he wasn't any better.  "Akane, unless we can find someone who knows about this stuff, I think you're in trouble," Ranma said.

At that moment a voice was heard behind them, "Maybe I can help, I picked up a few things about Martial Arts Gymnastics in my travels."  They turned and there in the doorway stood Ryoga.

Akane and Ranma looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.  Akane said, "Do you two promise not to fight until after the match?"  Ryoga and Ranma agreed quickly.  Seeing that, Akane said, "Okay then, I could use the pointers.  I'm not getting anywhere doing what I am doing."  Ranma got out of the way and watched Ryoga begin training Akane.  He was actually pretty impressed by Ryoga's teaching ability.  After a couple of hours, Akane was beginning to get the basics of the various tools down.  Finally, Kasumi came out to tell them it was time for dinner, inviting Ryoga to join them.  After dinner, Ranma took Ryoga upstairs and showed him where he could sleep.

Akane went into her room after dinner.  She was about to sit down on her bed, when she noticed a black rose in the middle of the bed.  Then she looked and there hiding above her in one corner of the room, was a black haired girl, wearing a leotard.  She lashed out at Akane with a ribbon.  It missed, but Akane screamed.  Ranma came running in the door, and ran into the girl knocking her off balance.  The girl climbed out the window, Akane following her.  Ranma jumped out after them and saw the two girls fighting on the roof.  Finally Akane got a solid blow in and knocked the girl off the roof.  Ranma ran over and caught the girl before she could land on her head.  The girl turned, and said, "My hero, you saved me.  What's your name?"

He realized that this was the same girl from the afternoon.  He answered, "I'm Ranma Saotome."  She sighed and kissed him.  "I am Kodachi, the Black Rose of St. Hebereke, we shall meet again, my beloved."  He stood there paralyzed.  She jumped out of his arms and disappeared over the rooftops, scattering black roses behind her, laughing manically as she disappeared from sight.

The paralysis wore off quickly.  Ranma jumped up to the roof and found Akane.  She was furious.  She couldn't decide though if she was madder because of the attack, or because Kodachi had kissed Ranma.  Ranma gathered Akane in his arms, and then leapt down to the ground.  They entered the house and went back upstairs to bed.

Akane, Ranma and Ryoga spent the next two days practicing the skills for the gymnastics meet, Ranma practicing to be Akane's second.  Each evening, Ranma would check out Akane's room before she would enter, just to make sure there wasn't a repeat performance.

The day of the match, Ranma, Ryoga and Akane went to the gym at St. Hebereke for the match.  Her family and a host of well-wishers from the high school joined them.  As they walked in, they met Kodachi.  She walked over to Akane and held out her hand, saying, "May the best person win."  Ranma grabbed her hand, turned it over and displayed several thumbtacks concealed between her fingers.  Kodachi blushed, and said, "I wonder how those got there.  Anyway, your dressing room is over there."  Kodachi pointed to a door.  Ranma opened the door.  There on the table was a bouquet of black roses.  Ranma tossed one of his clubs at the roses.  As soon as the club touched the roses, some sort of gas began coming out of them.  He waited, the gas dissipated.  Eventually, he went in and checked out the rest of the room.  He left and waited outside until Akane came out dressed in her leotard.  Ryoga went to stand next to the Tendos.  They heard the announcer call for attention.

"Testing, 1 2 3, testing.  Welcome everyone to the St. Hebereke Martial Arts Gymnastic Challenge.  Today we will see Akane Tendo representing Furinkan High School fight against our own beloved Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose," the announcer said.

"Kuno!!" Akane and Ranma both exclaimed.

"Please welcome the challenger to the ring," the announcer called.  Hearing their cue, Akane and Ranma walked out, Akane climbing into the ring, Ranma taking his station in their corner.  "Now, please welcome the reigning champion of Martial Arts Gymnastics, Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose of St. Hebereke High School," he declared.  A trapeze began to descend from the ceiling, Kodachi sitting upon it wearing a white bridal gown.

She called, "Ranma, my beloved, I wear my wedding dress for you, dear."

Akane began to see red.  "Ranma, what does she mean by that?"

Ranma said, "I have no idea.  Do me a favor and hit her a bunch of times for me, will ya?  She ain't my fiancée!!"

Kodachi landed in the ring, threw off the wedding dress to appear dressed in a black leotard.  She called to her second for her hoop.  Akane got two of her clubs.  The bell rang and the fight was on.  Kodachi threw her hoop at Akane, Akane dodged, putting one of the clubs in the way of the hoop.  The hoop cut the club in half, and landed next to Ranma.  "Hey, ref, this hoop is a razor," Ranma called, "Surely that's not legal."

The referee turned to him and said, "Any tool she has is legal.  Those are the rules.  You can only hit someone with one of the tools is the only restriction in this match."

Akane threw what was left of her club at Kodachi.  Kodachi leapt to avoid it and landed by the ropes.  Kodachi lashed at Akane with her ribbon.  Akane caught it with her leather-gloved hand, and began to pull Kodachi to the center of the ring.  Kodachi frowned in surprise; no one had ever been able to do this before to her.  Akane pulled even harder, and Kodachi lost hold of the ribbon.  Akane tossed that behind her to the ring floor.  Then Kodachi called for her clubs and grabbing them, called out "Attack of the thousand clubs".  She charged Akane, whirling her clubs around making it look like there were a thousand clubs.  As she got nearer, Akane threw her club into the middle of the clubs, disrupting Kodachi's rhythm.  About twenty clubs flew out of the ring, barely missing some of the spectators.  Kodachi ran back to her corner, looking for her next tool.  Akane grabbed Kodachi's ribbon, and began lashing Kodachi.  Kodachi jumped up on the ropes to avoid the ribbon, then jumped back out of the ring.  As she jumped up, she whistled, the ring moved to land under her.  Ranma lifted up the skirt of the platform and saw the remainder of the Gymnastics Team under the platform.  "Hey, Ref, is this legal?"

The referee just ignored him.  Akane continued to attack Kodachi with Kodachi's ribbon.  Finally, she cornered Kodachi on the ropes again.  This time when Kodachi sprung back, Ranma was ready.  As Kodachi whistled, he threw a bunch of marbles in the way of the girls.  They fell down, slipping and sliding and the ring stayed put.  Kodachi fell outside of the ring, knocking herself out.

The announcer cried out, "In a stunning victory, the challenger, Akane Tendo has defeated the champion, Kodachi Kuno, breaking her undefeated streak at one hundred matches."  The crowd from Furinkan came running over to congratulate Akane.  Finally, bruised and battered, Kodachi walked over and congratulated Akane.

"Ranma, darling, I can not bear for you to see me defeated.  Please forgive me for not being able to win you from this peasant," Kodachi said.

"Ranma," Akane growled.

"Kodachi, I'm not your darling.  Leave me alone; I'm not interested in you.  Go find someone else to pester," Ranma said.  With that, they all turned and left, leaving Kodachi spluttering behind them.

Akane asked, "Ranma, where's Ryoga?"

A little later

"Now, where am I," Ryoga asked out loud.

"Just outside of Nerima," a voice said.  Ryoga turned.  He saw a young man, dressed in some kind of uniform, with a bandolier across his chest.  In the bandolier were several small spatulas, and a great spatula handle was visible above his head.

"Do you know how to get to the Tendo home," Ryoga asked hopefully, "I got lost and want to get back to see my friend Ranma."

"Sorry, I don't know where it is, I'm new to the area myself.  Your friend wouldn't be Ranma Saotome, would he?" the boy asked.

Ryoga said, "Yeah, that his name.  Do you know him?"

The boy just ignored him and rushed off toward Nerima.  Ryoga tried to follow, but soon lost sight of the boy.

A figure was shadowing Gemna Saotome as he walked home from his job at the clinic.  Suddenly the figure rushed him, swinging a huge battle spatula.  "Saotome", the figure roared, "At last I've found you, you bastard!"  The spatula swung and connected with Gemna, smashing him into the ground.  The assailant hit him again and again in an angry rage.  "Why did you leave me, Father," he cried.  After pulverizing Gemna, the figure choked back a sob and ran off, leaving Gemna unconscious on the ground.

Akane came rushing over, after overhearing the last portion of the fight, to check on Gemna.  She picked him up and staggered back to Dr. Tofu.  After leaving him in the doctor's capable hands, she walked home, lost in thought.  'What did that person mean by calling him Father?  Does this mean Ranma has a brother?' she thought to herself.  Entering the yard, she saw Ranma practicing in the entrance to the dojo.  'He sure moves gracefully,' she thought, 'I wonder if I could ever move like that?'  She stared, entranced by the beauty of his motion.

Ranma sensed he was being watched.  He finished the exercise he was doing, and then turned.  "Yo, Akane, where've ya been?  We were supposed to work out together tonight right after school, remember?" he said.

"Sorry, Ranma, I had to stay late, I thought I told you.  It's a good thing I did, too.  I stumbled across your dad on the way home.  Somebody had beaten him pretty badly.  He's at the clinic with Dr. Tofu.  But, the person who was hitting him was calling him Father.  You don't have any brothers, do you?" she said.

Ranma looked stunned.  "Not any that I know of, tell Kasumi would you, I need to get over there and check on the old man," he said.  With that, he ran off.  Akane went in to tell Kasumi, and then went upstairs to work on her schoolwork.

Ranma came home about an hour later.  He met Kasumi and Akane as he entered.  He said with a hint of disgust, "The old man will be okay, but he didn't see who it was that attacked him.  All he knows is that he got hit by some kind of weapon.  He's going to spend the night there, and then come home first thing in the morning."


	11. The Hunter

Chapter 11 The Hunter

Ranma and Akane were walking to school together.  Well sort of together.  Akane was on the sidewalk; Ranma was balancing on the fence.  Ranma was smiling about something.  Akane asked, "What's so funny?"

Ranma said, "I was just thinking that you handled this morning just the right way.  Nabiki really expected you to pound on me when you came out.  I almost could see the steam rising off her face when you apologized to me.  Thinking about the expression on her face just made me smile." 

She continued watching him fence-walk.  Finally Akane's curiosity got the better of her, it was something she had wondered several times before, and she just hadn't thought to ask.  "Why do you walk up there, anyway?" she asked.

Ranma thought for a second.  "It's training.  Pop taught me to fence walk to improve my balance.  Tell ya what, maybe this afternoon I can show ya how to do it.  We'll start with something a half a meter or so off the ground, then get ya up higher once ya get used to it.  You couldn't do it wearing a skirt though," he said.  Then his face reddened as he realized what he had said.

Akane started getting angry, 'Like I'd want him to look up my skirt' she thought.  Then she stopped as she realized what he actually had meant.  'Yeah, I don't think being up there in a skirt would be a good idea, especially on a windy day' she realized.  They got to the school.  "You know, I really don't miss not having to fight my ways through all the boys.  Do you know some of them are actually dating some of the girls?  I just wish Kuno would get a clue!" Akane said.

Hearing his cue, Kuno stepped out from behind a tree.  "Ah, the Fair Akane    ", he started.  As he got launched by Air Akane, the cheapest way to fly in Japan, his voice faded in the distance.  

"Nice hang time, I think you're getting stronger," Ranma mused, "That might even set a distance record."  Akane laughed, and they ran to class.  A boy, dressed in some sort of uniform, with spatulas sticking in a bandolier across his chest, was standing next to the sensei.

"Class, we have a new student, Ukyo Kuonji.  Kuonji, can you tell us something about yourself?" the sensei asked.

"Hai, I'm Ukyo and okonomiyaki is the game!"  He turned around, and suddenly out of nowhere (probably the same place Akane's mallet comes from), a grill appeared.  In short order, everyone had a snack in front of each of them.  Ranma's had written on it, "I challenge you, at lunch."  His eyes narrowed, as he stared at the chef, and then nodded.

At lunch, Ranma and Akane made their way outside to the schoolyard, where they found Ukyo standing in the middle of what looked like a boxing ring.  Ranma walked over to the ring, and asked, "Why do you want to fight me, Ukyo?"

Ukyo looked at him and said, "You don't remember me, do you?"  Ranma just shook his head.  "It doesn't matter, I still want my revenge," Ukyo said, "Get in here and fight me, or are you a coward."

Ranma gritted his teeth and snarled, "No, I'm not a coward!" as he hopped into the ring, "but I generally don't fight someone for no reason, either!"  He stood there waiting for Ukyo to make the first move.  "Come on man, you want to fight or what?" he taunted.  Ukyo just stood there, waiting.  Finally, Ranma starting charging across the ring, as he did so, Ukyo threw some batter at him.  He couldn't avoid it and it glued him to the ring.  The ring surface was beginning to get hot, it was really a big grill and the batter was cooking.  He struggled for a bit, as Ukyo began throwing mini-spatulas at him.  Finally, with at titanic effort, he broke free.  Ukyo swung the battle spatula and tried to hit him.  Ranma caught it and pulled it away from her.  Ranma tossed it outside the ring, where it landed with a loud clang.  Ukyo began throwing flour bombs, which knocked Ranma back toward the center of the ring.  Ukyo threw a large bomb at him, Ranma batted it back at Ukyo, where it exploded and blew him out of the ring.  He landed on the ground, where he lay still, his outer layer of clothing partially in tatters.  Ranma jumped out the ring and ran over to continue the fight.  Ukyo was unconscious, blood seeping out from some strange bindings on his chest.

"Ukyo, are you ok?" Ranma asked.  Not getting a response, he began to get worried about the amount of blood he was seeing.  "Man, one of his spatulas must have cut him pretty bad.  Akane, come help.  Nabiki, run to the nurse and get some bandages," Ranma called as he started to apply pressure to the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.  As soon as he pressed down on the bindings, he realized that this boy had something squishy on his chest.  Akane ran up just then, as a horrid thought just occurred to him.  Hurriedly, he took his hands away and pressed Akane's hands down on the wound.  "Akane, just keep pressure on the cut, we have to get this blood stopped," he said.  She looked startled, and then as she recognized what she was feeling under her hands, she realized that Ranma was blushing.  At that moment, Nabiki ran up with the first aid kit.

"Can you take care of her?" Ranma asked.  Nabiki looked shocked, but Akane just nodded.  Ranma turned around, blocking the view of everyone else, while Akane and Nabiki pulled the bindings clear of the wound.  Nabiki shook her head, and then applied the bandage to the wound in the side of the exposed breast.  Immediately the blood flow stopped.  Ranma took his shirt off, and then handed it to Nabiki without turning around.  "Here, cover her up with this.  We need to get her to Dr. Tofu," he said.

"Ok, Ranma, it's safe to turn around now," Akane said softly.  Ranma picked Ukyo up, and then started running toward the clinic.  "We'll meet you there as soon as we can," Akane said, as he ran off.

He rushed into Dr. Tofu's office, carrying Ukyo.  Tofu motioned him into one of the exam rooms, and then Ranma said, "Dr. Tofu, I was fighting him, I mean her, anyway, she has a bad cut.  I think we got it under control, but she still needs your help."  With that, he put her on the exam table and left the room.  He sat down in the waiting room, holding his head in his hands.  Suddenly, he jumped up, poured water over his head to trigger the change.  She sat back down, and began to cry.  'I can't believe I fought a girl and hurt her like that, I could have killed her,' she thought.  Akane and Nabiki ran into the clinic, stopping in shock seeing Ranma in such distress, and then they both ran over and hugged Ranma.

"Ranma, you didn't know, you didn't know.  She challenged you," Akane said, "It's not your fault!"  Ranma just looked at her, and then grabbed hold of her and held her as if her life depended on it.  She began to cry on Akane's shoulder.  Eventually, she cried herself out, and released Akane.  Nabiki had brought Tofu's kettle out, held it up, pointing at Ranma's chest.  Ranma looked down, blushed, and then nodded.  Nabiki poured the hot water on Ranma and she changed back.

"Thanks, you two.  I don't know why I fell apart like that," Ranma whispered, "All that blood scared me, I guess."

Tofu walked out then and said, "She'll be ok, I put a few stitches in, but your first aid did most of it.  Aside from a mild concussion, the rest of the damage was some minor cuts and bruises.  She's going to need something to wear and I imagine Ranma would like a new shirt."  Nabiki just pointed to the sack that she had carried in.  Tofu opened it, found a t-shirt and tossed it to Ranma, and then went back into the exam room.

After a while, the door opened, and Tofu motioned for them.  "She wants to talk to you, Ranma," he said.  They all followed Ranma in, to see Ukyo sitting up on the table, looking a little wobbly still, but definitely better than when he had brought her in.

"Ranma, Dr. Tofu says I owe you my life.  If it wasn't for your first aid, he says I might have bled to death," she said, "Thank you."

Ranma blushed, "I just started it.  Akane and Nabiki did the real first aid.  I, uh, well, you're a girl, and it wouldn't have been, uh, you know," he stammered.  "Is she ok to move?" he asked.  Tofu nodded.

"Ukyo, can we take you your home," Akane asked, "Or would you like to come to our house?"

Ukyo sighed, and then said, "I don't have a home.  I just came here to track down the Saotomes, I was staying in a hotel room."  Akane and Nabiki looked shocked.

"That settles it, you're coming home with us and spending the night.  You don't need to be alone with that concussion," Nabiki said.  Ukyo looked surprised for a moment, and then nodded.  She carefully got down from the table.  She staggered a bit and would have fallen, except Akane caught her.  "Can you walk by yourself?" Nabiki asked.  Ukyo stood for a second, and then shrugged, wincing a little.

"I think so.  If it's not too far," she replied, "Thanks, Dr. Tofu, I'll see you later about the bill."  With that, the four of them walked off.

As they entered the house, Akane called, "Kasumi, we have a guest for dinner.  She also will be spending the night."

Kasumi rushed in, saw the bandaged up Ukyo and said, "Oh, my, what happened to you?"

"I happened to her," Ranma said through gritted teeth, clearly still upset with himself.

"Ranma", Akane and Nabiki both said.

Kasumi said, "Oh, my."

"No, it's my fault.  I started it.  He just finished it, but he didn't know I was a girl," Ukyo said, "It's really my fault, I guess."

They all sat down in the living room.  Ranma asked, "Where is Pop and Mr. Tendo?  Oh sorry, where are my manners.  Kasumi, this is Ukyo Kuonji, she just joined our class today.  Ukyo, this is Kasumi and Nabiki.  I think you remember Akane from class.  They are the daughters of Soun Tendo, whose home this is.  Now, can you tell me what you were so upset about?  What did I do to you, anyway?"

Ukyo took a deep breath, and then winced.  She said, "Do you remember playing with me at the Yatai?

Ranma stared into space for a long moment, and said, "Wait a minute, you're Ucchan, that's who you are.  But you were a boy when I played with you, weren't you?  You've never been to Jusenkyo, have you?  You don't have a curse?"

"What's Jusenkyo?  Curse?  Anyway, no, I've always been a girl.  You didn't know?  I didn't start to pretend to be a boy until after you and your father deserted me.  I was only six, but my life was ruined," Ukyo replied.

"I guess I need to show you about the curse.  Kasumi-chan, could you bring me some water, both hot and cold?  Ucchan, I don't understand about how your life was ruined.  All I remember is we played together, and if I beat you, we got food.  We had a good time, and then suddenly we left and I never saw you again.  I remember waving at you, as you were running toward us, then falling, but,   wait a minute, I was riding on something.  It was your father's yatai, and Pop was pulling it.  Why did we have your yatai?" Ranma asked.

"Our fathers agreed to an engagement.  The yatai was my dowry," she said.

Everyone else growled in anger.  "Pop, I'm going to kill you," Ranma snarled, "Just how many fiancées do I have?"  Ukyo looked stunned.

"Excuse me, Ranma, here's the water you asked for," Kasumi said sweetly.

"Ucchan, Pop engaged me to one of the Tendo's girls.  That's why I live here.  They are just waiting for us to decide who it will be.  That agreement happened before any of us were born, so it takes priority over your engagement.  He must have sold your yatai, though; I don't remember us having it long.  I bet he pulled that scam several times, too," Ranma said, beginning to get red with anger.

Nabiki hissed, "He's probably trying to do the same thing with us.  If you get married before your twenty to one of us, and inherit the house and dojo, then you'd be a minor and he would probably try to be your trustee."

Ranma looked shocked, and then realized she was probably right.  "Ukyo, were you the one who beat him up yesterday?" he asked.  She nodded.  "Good, if you want to do it again tonight, I'll hold him down."  Everyone's face got a real fierce look for a second, even Kasumi.  "I didn't know anything about an engagement to you, but he didn't tell me about the Tendos until after we started here from China.  That reminds me, I meant to show you about the curse that I got at Jusenkyo."  He poured some of the cold water over him and changed.  Ukyo looked at her in shock.

"Uh, Ranma, that t-shirt isn't hiding much of anything, particularly now that it's wet," Nabiki said with a smirk, "Where's my camera when I need it?"

Ranma looked down, blushed at how much she was showing.  "I keep forgetting how developed I am, sorry," she said.  She ran upstairs and then came down wearing one of her red Chinese shirts.  "Better?" she asked.  Then she poured the warm water over herself and changed back.

Ukyo just stared in bemusement.  Then she giggled, poured the cold water back on him.  Then the hot water, she did that several times until both pots were empty.  "That is so cool," Ukyo said.

"I guess we have a new member of the fiancée club," Nabiki smirked, "Welcome, sister."  Ukyo giggled again at the expression on Ranma's face.

"Well, at least all of you are cute," Ranma grumbled with a sigh.  'Man, not another fiancée, wasn't three bad enough,' he thought.  The girls all smiled at him.

That evening at dinner, everyone gathered at the dining platform.  Ranma sat between Akane and Ukyo, with Ukyo sitting across from Gemna.  Kasumi brought the dinner in.  "Father, this is a friend of Akane and Ranma from school.  She just joined their class today.  Her name is Ukyo Kuonji, and she is also engaged to Ranma, isn't that nice?" Kasumi said.  Gemna choked, Soun glared at him, forming Demon Head Soun.

"Saotome, what is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

'I'm just a cute panda', the panda's sign said.

"Oh, no you don't Pop," Ranma said as Nabiki poured her hot tea on the panda.  "Spill it.  Just what have you done to us?"  The Tendo Waterworks Company began as Tendo began to cry.

"Son, a martial artist's life is full of peril," Gemna began, when suddenly he was transfixed by glares from Ranma, Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi and Ukyo.  "Er, well, uh, Ukyo's father saw how well you two got along when you were six and suggested the engagement.  I, uh, turned him down, of course, but then he mentioned the dowry, and I caved in.  We were supposed to take her with us to train, but she was too weak, and couldn't keep.  She fell behind, and I lost her."  'Not a bad story,' he thought.

"Wrong answer, try again!  You deliberately left me, didn't you?  You had no intention of honoring the engagement, did you?" Ukyo hissed, her battle aura beginning to glow.  Akane and Ranma looked at her in alarm as she began to rise, Ranma grabbing her to keep her seated.

"You don't want to open up that wound, Ukyo," Akane whispered, "Let us take care of him for you."  Then she began cracking her knuckles.  Ranma looked startled for a second, and then his face took on the same feral grin as Akane.

"How many other fiancées are there out there, Pop?" asked Ranma with a dangerous glint in his eyes, as his battle aura began to show.  Akane's aura began to show as well.  Then Ranma noticed that both Nabiki and Kasumi's auras also were showing.  'Impressive, memo to self, stay on their good side,' he thought.

Gemna began to sweat drop.  "Uh, three or four more, I guess.  Life on the road was hard, and I did what I had to survive.  You don't understand," he babbled, clearly in fear of his life.

"I understand that you are a lying, cheating, poor excuse for a father," yelled Ranma, visibly struggling to stay in control.  "Pop. How could you!!!" he screamed as he jumped over the table.

"Now the schools will never be joined," Soun wailed.  "What!" everyone else said.

Ranma grabbed his father, opened the door, and threw him outside.  "I suggest you stay out here for a while.  It's going to be too dangerous in here for you.  I'm your son,' he spat, "I just want to kill you, I think the girls want to do something a whole lot more painful."  Gemna crawled away in fright.  Ranma came back in and shut the door, breathing hard, trying to get his anger under control.  "I'm sorry, Mr. Tendo, if you want us to leave, I'll understand," he said.

Soun looked at the young man, paused.  "Ranma, you can stay here, I don't want to throw you out," he said, "None of this is your fault.  I just can't believe my old friend would do this to me."  He began sobbing.

"Don't leave us, Ranma"

"Yes, please stay."

"We're your friends, we don't want you to go."

The girls all chimed in.  Ranma visibly relaxed.  "Thanks all of you, I would like to stay, this has become my home.  Ucchan, I'm sorry, that bastard I have for a father ruined your life.  I don't know what to do about it.  He's destroyed our family's honor and yours with his actions and I can't fix it," he said sadly.  He slowly walked back to his place at the table, and sat down.  "I'm not sure any of us feel like eating right now, but it would be a shame not to eat a meal that Kasumi had prepared.  She's too good a person to do that to," he said.  Quietly, everyone began to eat.

After dinner, when everything had been cleaned up, Ranma went outside and sat on the roof to think.  Soun went outside to talk to Gemna.  The girls all gathered in Nabiki's room to talk about the situation they were in, since hers was the largest after all.  After a few minutes, Akane opened up the window and called, "Ranma, we need to talk.  Would you join us, please?"  Ranma reluctantly entered the bedroom through the window.  He was obviously miserable about the situation.

"Ranma, no one is blaming you for this mess," Nabiki said softly, "Remember, we're your friends, and we do want you to stay, please.  Don't shut us out of your life."  He looked up at her; eyes glistening with unshed tears.  Nabiki reached over and held him.  He actually began crying on her shoulder.  After a few minutes, he let go, looked at her, and smiled albeit sadly.

"Thanks, all of you.  It's just so hard to finally realize what he is like.  I've had some suspicions of him, since we left places in the middle of the night on more than one occasion, but to find out that he has stooped that low.  Treating me like a piece of meat, as a lure to steal," he said, "Do you know what that makes me?  Makes him?  I feel so unclean."  Nabiki thought to herself, 'So that is the real reason he felt so strongly about those pictures, now I'm really sorry that I sold the few I did.'  The girls looked at each other, then moved.  Ranma found himself in the middle of a group hug as all four girls joined him.  Some of the ice around his heart melted, and he felt warmer, felt better.  "Nabiki, you're the planner of the group, where do we go from here?  I don't want to hurt anyone anymore."

"What do you feel about Ukyo?" Nabiki asked.

"Well, remember, I only knew her for a few months, when we were six, and I thought she was a boy.  What I remember is that I thought he was a good friend, not that Pop ever let me have any for long.  I don't know who this Ukyo is; after all, it's been ten years since we last saw each other.  We have both changed; we aren't the same people any longer.  I would like to get to know this Ukyo; I would like to be able to call her friend, but I'm no more ready to consider her a fiancée than I am to pick one of you.  That's still something I'm scared about, I guess, " Ranma said, "But I'm not sure family honor, what's left of it, gives me that luxury."

"I don't know that I really want a fiancé either, Ranma," Ukyo said, "After all, this morning I was intending to get my revenge on you.  I'm still not sure if I meant to kill you or just beat you to a pulp.  I'm just glad that I didn't do either, now that I know that you had nothing to do with it.  The problem that I have is that after your father abandoned me, and I went back to my father, he forced me to live as a boy.  He even changed me legally to a boy.  Then he made me swear to find you and either marry you or kill you.  I've spent the last ten years training in martial arts and plotting my revenge, and searching for you.  I'm not sure who Ukyo is anymore.  I don't like the person he is, but I'm not sure there is any Ucchan left either."  She began to cry.

"Oh, my," Kasumi said, "Why don't we try to create a new Ukyo, the girl, the friend of the Tendo's, Ranma's friend? I'm sure I will like that girl.  What you need is a fresh start, one where you've forgotten the past.  Hello, who are you?  I'm Kasumi, want to be friends?"  Then Kasumi smiled.

Ukyo's eyes got real big, and then they got misty.  "Hi, Kasumi, I'm Ukyo.  I'd love to be your friend!" she exclaimed, "What do you want to do now, friends?"

"I know, we were going to go shopping Saturday, anyway," Nabiki said, and then she smirked, "We need to get both Ranma and Ukyo new clothes anyway."  Ranma began to fear the evil look in Nabiki's eyes.  "They both could use a few cute dresses, anyway, don't you think?"

"Hey, Ukyo's the girl here, not me!" Ranma protested.

#Splash#  "Oh, yeah?" Akane asked, "Doesn't look that way to me, all I see here is five girls.  Besides you already promised to make a girls day of it."  She began to giggle.  Kasumi, Nabiki and Ukyo joined her, looking at the expression on Ranma's face.  Ranma looked down at herself, sighed, and then reluctantly at first, she began to giggle as well.  Nabiki quirked an eyebrow at her, asking a silent question.

Ranma just shrugged, "I just thought of how much it would really irritate Pop, especially if I brought back something a bit sexy.  It would really serve him right, you know."  Identical evil grins appeared on all five faces.


	12. Enter Ranma's Mother

Chapter 12 Enter Ranma's Mother

That Saturday, after the half-day of class was over, Kasumi met them at the gate of the school.  They walked over to the local mall where they spent a pleasant couple of hours looking at clothes.  Ranma was still grumbling under her breath about the whole situation, but she had to admit the girls were having a good time, trying on the different outfits.  She was a little shocked at some of the things that Nabiki and Kasumi were trying on.  A few of them, she was glad that she was a girl when she saw them in them.  She just knew that if she had been a guy then, she would have a nosebleed.  Akane and Ukyo at least weren't as daring, so she felt safer around them, anyway.  Unfortunately, none of them would forget about her, so she was stuck trying several things on as well.  The girls, particularly Nabiki, kept making her wear sexier and sexier things.  Ranma knew they were doing it to tease her, but every time she thought about refusing, Akane would look at her with those beautiful eyes of hers and start quivering her lip.  Then Kasumi of all people started doing it too.  Ranma knew she was being played, but she just couldn't put her foot down.  Besides a still small voice in her head kept saying 'This is fun, this is fun.'  Of course, which was in competition with the other voice saying, 'You're a guy, remember?'  She ended up buying a few tops, and a sports bra or two, but she put her foot down about panties.  Then Kasumi came out in a very sexy number, and that did trigger a nosebleed.  After the girls stopped laughing, and got Ranma cleaned up, they made her try that one like that on herself.  She couldn't believe what she looked like in it.  She started giggling, then.  This one was it; it would really make her father see red.

After that, the girls decided to get some drinks over in the food court.  While they were standing in line, two of Akane's friends from school wandered by.

"Hi, Akane," squealed Yuki, "Are you out shopping, too?"  Yuki wasn't the brightest star in the sky; the bags they were carrying should have been a clue.

"Yes, we're having an afternoon at the mall, sort of a girl's day out.  We've found some cute things for all of us," Akane replied, with a small giggle.

Sakura asked, (just a little jealous, after all she was Akane's friend, so why wasn't she invited) "Who did you come with?"

Akane blinked in surprise, and then said, "I'm sorry.  I should have introduced you.  You remember my sister Kasumi, right?  This is Ukyo Kuonji, the okonomiyaki chef from class."

Sakura said, "I thought you were a boy!"

"Nope, one hundred percent woman," Ukyo replied.

"Well, I'm Sakura and this is Yuki," she said, "Who's the other girl?"

"Uh, I'm Ran – ko Saotome," Ranma replied, after a nudge in the side from Akane.  Over the other girls' shoulders, she saw an attractive middle-aged woman react to the name.  She had shoulder-length auburn hair, was dressed in a conservative business suit, but oddly enough, was carrying a sheathed katana blade.

"Are you related to Ranma?" Yuki asked.

Ranma hesitated.  Akane said quickly, "She is his cousin, she's down for a short visit."

"Well, we've gotta run, nice meeting you," Yuki said as she and Sakura ran off.

The woman who had overheard the conversation walked up behind the Tendo girls.  "Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear.  Did you say you were related to Ranma Saotome?" she asked politely.

Kasumi turned around and said with some surprise, "Auntie Nodoka, we haven't seen you in months!"  Nabiki and Akane turned as well, Akane actually hugging her 'Aunt'.

Kasumi suddenly paled, Nabiki noticed her reaction, and asked, "What's wrong, Kasumi?"

"Oh, my, I just remembered a story I overheard shortly after Mother died.  Auntie was sad one day during a visit with us.  She was talking to Father and saying how sad she was because she hadn't seen her husband or her son since he was six.  They were on some sort of training trip.  Then I remembered her last name.  Auntie, are you married to Gemna Saotome?"

"Why yes, child.  Gemna is my husband.  Ranma is my son.  That is why I was so excited when I heard the name," Nodoka exclaimed, "Do you know where they are?"

"It's a long story, Auntie,' Nabiki said, quickly, "They are staying at our house right now.  Why don't we go home and tell you all you all about it?"

"That would be wonderful!  I want to see them both so badly.  I've missed them so much, and I was starting to get worried.  I stopped getting postcards from Gemna about six months ago.  Uh, by the way Ranko, are you sure you're a cousin of Ranma's, I don't remember anyone by that name?  Anyway, I'm also anxious to see if my husband fulfilled his pledge to raise Ranma as a man among men," Nodoka answered.

Ranma was about to tell her who she really was, but that last comment stopped her.  There had been an odd glint in her mother's eyes when she had mentioned the pledge, plus her grip had tightened on the katana blade.  Something about that worried her.  "Uh, that's part of the same long story, why don't we wait?" she blurted.  Nodoka looked at her a little odd, but nodded.

They all walked back to the Tendo home.  The house was empty.  There was a note saying that their fathers had gone to the bathhouse for a long soak, and would be back in time for dinner.

"Now, where is my son?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma replied, "I'll go get him."  She left the room, walked into the bathroom.  She took her clothes off, transformed back into a guy, and put on his favorite red Chinese shirt and black pants.  He walked back toward the group, when he overheard Akane ask, "What was the pledge that you mentioned?"

"Gemna promised to raise Ranma as a man among men, if he failed, they were to commit seppuku," Nodoka replied calmly.  Ranma paled when he heard that, but squared his shoulders and walked in resolutely.

He bowed and said, "Hello, Mother, I'm your son Ranma."  Nodoka turned and saw a handsome young man, with pigtailed black hair, very muscular, bowing in respect toward her.  She ran over, pulled him up and hugged him, and then began crying.  Her son looked so manly.  Ranma held his mother, wondering how she would react to the story of his life.  He gulped, but decided he couldn't lie to her.  "Mom, remember at the mall when Nabiki said there was a long story about me?  We need to talk."  She looked puzzled, thinking 'How could he know what happened at the mall?'  He then began to tell her the highlights of the ten years that he had been separated from her.  She nodded in recognition of some of the stories.  Apparently, Gemna's letters and postcards had told her a few things, but obviously he had hid many of the details.  She started to get angry.

Then he began to tell her about learning the Neko-Ken.  "Mom, Pop decided to train me in a invincible martial arts technique.  He forgot to read the next page unfortunately, which basically said only a moron would teach this, that it could make the subject crazy.  He dug a pit, filled it with c-c-c, those things that chase mice, let them starve for a couple of days, wrapped me in fish paste and threw me in.  I was eight years old when he did that.  He kept doing it until I learned the technique.  Unfortunately, I can't control it, and if I see a c-c-c, one of those animals, I basically turn into one," he said.  Nodoka began to seethe with rage.

Then he hesitated.  "Mom, there's something else you need to know.  My life is kinda messed up right now.  While I've tried to become an honorable man, a martial artist better than any, I've come to realize that Pop isn't as honorable.  Remind me to give you a report that Nabiki put together for me.  I don't know if you were aware of the pledge he made, but he and Mr. Tendo pledged that I would marry one of the Tendo daughters.  This happened before any of us were born.  Then during our travels, he also engaged me to Ukyo here and stole her dowry.  He has admitted that there may be more girls out there as well."

Nodoka's eyes grew cold, "I see I have much to discuss with my husband."  Her hand involuntarily reached for the handle of her blade.

"There's more.  While we were training, we went to the cursed training grounds of Jusenkyo.  There are many springs there, and the legend is that if you fall into one of the springs, you are cursed," Ranma said slowly.

Nodoka paled.  "Cursed, what do you mean?" she gasped.

"You change into the form of whatever drowned in that spring.  Kasumi-chan, could you get some water?  You know what I need.  Mother, cold water triggers the change into the cursed form, hot water reverses it.  Both Pop and I are cursed.  He fell into the spring of drowned panda.  And I, well I fell into the spring of drowned girl," Ranma said.  He took the cold water and poured it over his head.  Nodoka face went ashen as she saw her manly son turn into the attractive redhead who had called herself Ranko.  "Sorry, Mom," Ranma whispered, then poured the warm water over herself, changing back.  Nodoka fainted and would have fallen to the floor, except Ranma caught her.  Ranma carried her over to one of the couches and laid her down.

"Ranma, why did you tell her about the curse," Akane said worriedly, "Did you know that if you're not a man among men, that you're supposed to commit seppuku?"

"Akane, I heard what Mom said.  I didn't know anything about it until then.  But I won't live a lie.  It would not be honorable to hide from Mom.  She deserves to know who I am, and what I am.  Anything less would not be honorable," he replied, firmly.

"Ranma?" a soft voice interrupted.  He looked down and realized that his mother was awake, "Did you mean what you said?"

"Yes, Mom," Ranma replied, "I don't know what ya meant when ya said Pop was supposed to raise me as a man among men.  All I can tell ya is that I've tried to live my life as honorably as I could.  I've tried to be the best martial artist that I can be.  I want ya to know that I missed ya.  I want to get ta know ya again."

"Ranma, I need some time to think.  I don't know how I feel right now," Nodoka admitted, "You've told me so many strange things, that I just need time."

"Mom, I understand.  If it hadn't been me involved, I don't think I would believe my story, either.  I'm still your son, someone I hope ya can be proud of," he replied.

"Son, whatever else I'm feeling, I know that you are both brave and honorable.  I'm not about to lose my son; I'm looking forward to finding out about you.  I think I'm mostly angry at your father and at myself," Nodoka said.  "As for this pledge, I'm not a monster.  I know you didn't know anything about it.  I never intended it to apply to you.  It would not be honorable after all.  It was something your father did and that I allowed, hoping it would keep him in line.  I guess I was wrong.  I don't think I need this anymore," she said as she took a piece of paper out of her purse.  She opened it up and handed it to him.  It was the pledge that his father had made to his mother the day he had taken her son from her.  "Please burn this.  I never wanted it to come between us.  You I release from this pledge, for in spite of your father, you are indeed a man among men, a man of courage and honor above all else," she said.

"Thank you, Mother," Ranma said as he hugged his mother, "I thought you were dead, Pop never said anything about you.  To find you now."  He choked.  Akane stared at Ranma, seeing the emotion in his eyes, the tears of joy he wanted to shed, but couldn't.  Her heart went out to him.

"Auntie, Ranma still has a hard time expressing his feelings unless he's in his other form.  His father taught him that wasn't manly.  Is there something you can do to help him?" Akane asked carefully.

"Ranma, it's ok for men to cry and show emotions," Nodoka said tenderly, she waited, and then sighed, "Akane go ahead.  While I would prefer to comfort my son, I find that I don't mind comforting my new daughter, either."  Akane's eyes got large, and then she poured the cold water over Ranma.  As he changed, Nodoka held her daughter and said, "Go ahead and cry, dear.  I missed you so much, too."  Ranma started crying, her mother joining her.

Ranma reached out with one hand and gathered Akane into the hug, "Thanks, best friend," Ranma whispered.  Akane smiled, she realized that she felt the same way; Ranma was her best friend.  She also realized that she was changing.  Since Ranma had come into her life, she had found her center.  Whether it was from all of the training, or the relative quiet at school, in spite of all of the other craziness that Ranma had brought, she had found peace.

Nabiki came over.  She had a very, very evil grin on her face.  "Auntie, could I talk to you in private?" she asked with a wicked laugh.  Nodoka looked at her for a moment, and then something in the way Nabiki looked caught her attention.  She disengaged from Ranma, leaving her in Akane's embrace.  Ranma just shifted, holding onto Akane tightly.  Nodoka followed Nabiki over to a corner of the room, where Nabiki started talking to her in a low voice.  At first Nodoka looked startled, even shocked, but as Nabiki continued to talk, she began to laugh the same wicked laugh that Nabiki had used.

"Ranma, dear, would you do me a big favor?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma's face paled, and a big drop of sweat rolled down her forehead at the tone in her mother's voice.

Gemna and Soun entered the house after a relaxing afternoon at the bathhouse, followed by a good time at one of the local taverns.  As they entered into the dining area, they were both exceedingly mellow.  They heard the sound of low voices talking in the kitchen but no one was visible as they sat down to play shogi.  After a few minutes, Nabiki walked out of the kitchen, and saw the two men sitting there.  "Father, Mr. Saotome, dinner will be ready shortly.  I'm just on my way up to let Akane know," Nabiki said.  She went upstairs and disappeared.  Several minutes later, she walked back down.  She had changed clothes for some reason, instead of her normal short shorts and partially buttoned blouse; she was wearing a very short black dress, showing plenty of her cleavage.  She sat down in her normal spot, with her dress riding up to show even more of her long legs.  Akane came down next. Wearing an attractive white dress, somewhat more modest that what Nabiki was wearing, but still more daring than she normally wore, and sat down in her spot.  Kasumi came out of the kitchen, carrying the dinner, in an extremely daring red dress.  By this time, the two men's eyes were bugging out.  They couldn't figure out what was going on.  Then a lovely young lady, with long black hair, came down stairs, she was also in a nice dress, somewhere between what Akane was wearing and what Nabiki was wearing.  Then Ranma walked out of the kitchen.  She had her hair down, and was wearing the new dress she had picked out that afternoon.  She gracefully sat down in her place, with the other girl sitting between her and the end of the table that Soun normally sat at.  By this time, Gemna was furious; his boy was acting like a girl.  Suddenly, he heard a voice from behind him, "Is this how you have raised my son to be a man among men?"  The voice was as cold as ice.  Then raising the hair on the back of his neck (which is a good trick, considering he is a bald as a billiard ball), he heard the rasp of a blade being drawn.  He suddenly went stone cold sober.

Gemna and Soun turned.  There standing in the doorway was Nodoka, dressed in a formal kimono, with the katana blade drawn.  Her eyes were cold, chilling Gemna to the bone.  He scrambled to hide behind Soun.  Nodoka stared at him for what seemed an eternity, and then said, "You have a lot to answer for, Husband.  We will discuss you behavior after dinner."  She gracefully sat down next to Nabiki and set the naked blade down beside her.

Soun looked at the strange girl sitting next to him, and asked politely, "I'm sorry miss, you are welcome in our house, but I'm afraid I don't recognize you."

Ukyo giggled, and then said, "Have I changed that much from last night, Mr. Tendo?  I am Ukyo, remember?"

Soun and Gemna face faulted.  The rather tomboyish girl from last night was this vision?

Kasumi finished serving the meal, and they ate.  The girls, including Ranma, talked about the enjoyable afternoon they had, trying on new clothing, giggling over many things.  Gemna's eyes got even more worried, not understanding what had come over his son.  He was afraid to look over at Nodoka; he could feel the chill coming from her direction.  Finally, dinner was over, and he tried to escape.  Nodoka stopped him and took him off somewhere.

Ranma got up and gratefully went and changed out of her new dress.  While she didn't want to admit it, it did look good on her, but she much preferred her normal attire.  She changed clothing, back into her red Chinese shirt and black slacks.  With Akane's help, she rebraided her hair back into its normal pigtail.  Then she wandered into the kitchen for some hot water.  After changing back, Ranma went in search of his mother.  She had just finished a long conversation with her wayward husband.  He was now cowering in the corner, eying the blade in Nodoka's hand.  Ranma smiled to see his father begin to get some of the punishment he deserved for the ten years of trouble he had caused.  "Gemna, I'm not finished with you yet," Nodoka said, "But now I would like to talk some more to my son."  Ranma followed her out to the dojo, where they sat down.  "Ranma, what do you think about all of the chaos in your life?" she asked.

"Well, like I told ya this afternoon, my life is pretty much a mess.  Chaos is a pretty good description.  I'm not interested in getting married any time soon, in fact, I would really like to get out of high school before I get engaged, so the engagements don't really bother me.  Now if I had to choose a particular girl as a fiancée right now, that would be a problem.  I feel sorry for Ukyo; I don't know what we can do about her.  I guess the worst of the whole situation is my other form, of course.  I'm just worried about how it will affect me!" he said.

"What do you mean by that?" Nodoka asked softly.

  He sat there in silence, collecting his thoughts.  Then he continued, "It hasn't been a real long time, after all, and I haven't spent a long time just as a girl, so I don't know what will happen.  The month in the Amazon village was the longest, and it taught me a couple of things.  One is that in my girl form, I am completely a woman physically.  There was rough five days during that month, and if it hadn't been for Cologne, I might have gone crazy.  The other thing is between that, and helping Cologne and Shampoo deliver a few babies, that got rid of the rest of Pop's garbage about women being the weaker sex.  You're not weaker, your strengths are in different areas."

"So your father thinks women are weaker," Nodoka mused, "His attitudes certainly have changed over the years.  That doesn't really sound like the man I thought I married."  She hesitated for a moment, and then asked," How do you feel about the curse?  Have you thought about looking for a cure?"

"I don't know if there is a cure; I'm not even sure where to start looking.  From what Cologne told me, I doubt there is one.  I still think of myself as a guy, though,  no matter what I look like.  As far as I can tell, I'm pretty much the same person, no matter what body I have, but there are definitely some differences.  You've already discovered that it's easier for me to express my emotions when I'm a girl.  The emotions are the same; though I seem to get angrier easier as a guy.  So far that is all, but I'm afraid that over time, I will change and that worries me.  The girls have been great; we've become good friends, especially Akane.  I'm not sure how I would have managed sometimes without each of them."

"I hate to ask you this, but what do you feel when you look at any of the girls?" Nodoka asked, very reluctantly.

"Mom!!!  That's not really something a guy wants to discuss with his mother ya know.  On the other hand, I would never want to talk about that with the old man.  Like I said, I am still a guy, inside.  When the girls were trying on those dresses this afternoon, it was all I could do to keep my nose from bleeding.  And when Kasumi modeled the dress I wore tonight, I couldn't keep it from bleeding, I definitely was interested.  I guess that means I react to girls either way, and that's all I'm gonna say about that," Ranma said, extremely embarrassed.

"Sorry, I had to know.  Now we do have a house in Tokyo.  It's a bit small, but the three of us can fit in there," she asked.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Mom, but this house feels like home to me.  I don't want to leave here.  I would miss the girls, and even Mr. Tendo.  He's weak, but he is still a better man than Pop.  After all, he did manage to raise three pretty nice girls.  My coming here has helped them.  They're my friends, and I want to stay and help.  Kasumi is starting to feel that she can do the things she wants to do, our teaching has allowed Nabiki to stop doing some of the shadier things, and Akane is no longer mad at the entire world.  Now it's usually just me she's mad at.  I still have a talent for irritating her when we study, I can't seem not to insult her," Ranma said with a wry grin.

Nodoka sighed.  "I agree with you, I think this is the place for you right now.  I was seeing much the same things that you described when I would visit.  I felt sorry for them for losing their mother, and putting such a burden on Kasumi.  And my visits did allow me to play mother to the girls, which helped me during your absence.  Soun totally fell apart when his wife Kimiko passed away.  But you're right, this visit I noticed that the girls are different.  Soun hasn't managed to pull himself together totally, but I saw signs that he is beginning to come back.  He was a good man, maybe not good enough for Kimiko, but she loved him, and he loved her, and that was enough," Nodoka said, "I will expect frequent visits from you, and if you need a shoulder to cry on, I'll be there."

Ranma asked, "What are you planning to do about Pop?"

"I don't know.  Aside from trying to untangle the mess he's made of your life, I don't have a clue," Nodoka said.

Kasumi walked into the dining area to speak with her father.  She gracefully knelt down before him and said, "Father, I would like your permission to go to college next semester.  Now that Ranma is here, and the girls are taking on some of the household duties, I would like to take some classes.  I can't stay here forever, after all."

Soun put down his paper, and thought for a while.  "Are you sure that Ranma will be staying here?  After all, he could go live with his mother," Soun said.

"Actually, I was hoping that you could invite Auntie Nodoka to stay her.  That way Ranma could get to know his mother better, while still being able to teach in the dojo as well as come to know us better.  If she were to stay here, then I know she would also help around the house.  I know we have to do some rearranging to make that happen.  I've talked to my sisters and none of us want him to leave," she said gently.

"That's not a bad idea, my daughter, now that you mention it," Soun said, "If we clean up the attic room, Ranma could stay there, until we made more permanent arrangements.  As far as college is concerned, if we have the money for you to go, then I'd like that to happen.  I have allowed you to sacrifice much for us, this possibly will begin to make up for some of that."


	13. Ukyo Moves Out

Chapter 13 Ukyo Moves Out

Nabiki was in her room working on her ledger as she normally did every Friday night.  She noticed that several of her accounts were becoming due, so she made a mental note to visit those people who owed her money to encourage them to bring their payments current.  She was pleased with the state of the family finances.  Even though she had curtailed her sale of photographs of Akane and Ranma, the amount of money they were bringing in teaching students on the weekend had more than offset that.  She had cleaned up nicely at the Martial Arts Gymnastic Meet and all of her other operations were also showing a nice profit.  Her college fund was growing nicely, and she had established new college funds for both Kasumi and Akane as well.  Overall, she was even in a position to make some more investments.

Ukyo knocked on her doorframe to get her attention.  Nabiki closed her ledger and motioned for Ukyo to come in.  Ukyo hesitated, and then said, "Nabiki, I need your help.  I appreciate your family allowing me to stay these last few days, but now that Ranma's mother has moved in, I thought that I ought to find a new place to live.  I can't stay here forever after all.  What I was wondering is do you know of any locations where I might be able to open a restaurant?  One that has its own living space?"

Nabiki thought for a moment.  "I think I know of a pretty good spot.  There used to be a restaurant there once before, and if I recall correctly, it had a small apartment above it.  I know the owner, as well; he owes me a few favors.  I can get a good price for the lease.  What's my help worth to you?"

"I think we can come to an agreement on a percentage of the profits," Ukyo said, "I don't think I can spare any of the cash I have.  I will need a lot of it to get the restaurant up and running after all."

Ukyo and Nabiki spent the next several minutes haggling about how much Nabiki's help was going to cost, but they eventually came to an agreement.  Nabiki thought she wasn't getting enough; Ukyo thought she was paying too much.  That meant it was a good deal.  Nabiki said, "I'll call the owner and set up a time to see the storefront tomorrow.  If you like it, we can close on the lease and I'll start arranging for all of the permits you'll need.  If we need one, I'll set up a crew of people to come over and help set up the place as well.  I'll consider part of my contribution, okay?"

"Sound's good, partner.  Thanks for the help.  Ranma-honey was right when he said to come to you," Ukyo said.  She smiled and left.

Early the next afternoon, after class was over, Ukyo and Nabiki met the property owner at the storefront.  After bowing politely to each other and making introductions, they went in to check the place out.  The downstairs area was actually in pretty good shape.  There was plenty of room for Ukyo to install her grill, there were several sets of tables and chairs and a dozen booths.  There was a back room that obviously had been the original kitchen.  It had several sinks, and counters for food preparation, and all of the appliances appeared to be working and in good shape.  Also, there were two small restrooms on the first floor.  There was a small staircase, hiding behind a tattered curtain.  They went up the stairs and found that they ended in a small landing with a door.  Opening the door they found a small living room, with windows overlooking the street.  There were also two doors, both of them open.  One door obviously led into a bathroom, while the second opened up into what was supposed to be the bedroom.  The bedroom windows overlooked the back of the property, and the light shining in through the windows flooded both the bedroom and living room.  While the rooms had been vacant for some time, a thorough cleaning appeared to be the only thing they needed to be made livable.  Ukyo nodded to Nabiki, very pleased with what she had seen.  Nabiki began negotiating the lease price with the owner; after a surprisingly short time, Nabiki declared herself satisfied and pulled out a lease agreement.  She wrote in the amount they had agreed to, and signed the papers.  After the lease was signed, the owner handed the keys to Ukyo, bowed again and left.

"I'm glad you were on my side, Nabiki," Ukyo said with a smile, "I guess there's no reason why I can't clean this place up and move in here tomorrow."

"I'll get a crew over here to help as well.  I have a locksmith that will come by and change out the locks as well.  There's a few pieces of furniture up in the dojo attic that you can have until you can get some stuff of your own.  I'm pretty sure there's a least a futon and a dresser up there," Nabiki said, "Knowing Ranma, if you promise to feed him, he'll bring them over."  They both laughed at that, knowing Ranma's appetite.  Then she went on, "I'll catch you later tonight; right now I'll go get the permit process started.  I have a clerk at city hall that will do most anything for me."  With that, Nabiki left, leaving Ukyo to survey her new domain.  Ukyo had noticed a broom and some cleaning supplies downstairs in the kitchen, so she went down and brought them up.  She started out by getting rid of the few cobwebs she had found, and then sweeping out all of the dust from the hardwood floors.  About two hours later, Ukyo was satisfied with the apartment.  The floors were clean; the windows were sparkling.  The small amount of accumulated trash had been disposed of.  All she needed now was some furniture and it was ready for her to move in.  By that time, a small group of students from Furinkan High had shown up, looking for work.  She had them start cleaning the downstairs area.  With as many people as Nabiki had sent, it wasn't long until the downstairs was as spotless as the upstairs.  The floors were mopped and polished, the tables, chairs and booths were clean and shiny and the windows were sparkling clean.  The locksmith had come and gone so all that was left was to put in the grill, stock some supplies, hang some curtains in the windows and open doorways and she would be ready to hang her sign outside and go into business.  After getting everyone's name to ensure that they would get their first meal free, she thanked everyone as they left.  She locked up and headed back to the Tendo home for what was probably her last night there.

Nabiki met her at the front door of the Tendo home and took one look at her and said, "You look beat.  Let's go get you cleaned up and we can talk while we relax in the furo."  Ukyo just nodded in agreement.  A long soak in the hot water was just the thing she needed to relax her muscles.  Even though she was a martial artist and in excellent shape, all that time on her knees mopping the floor had worn her out.

After cleansing their body, shampooing their hair, and rinsing off with the cold-water buckets, the two girls entered the furo.  Ukyo sat there in dreamy silence, while Nabiki talked about her afternoon at city hall getting the permits.  She said "According to my clerk, we should have the permits in a couple of days.  Once you have the grill installed, I will get the inspector in.  That will be the final step in getting the permits approved.  I don't see any reason why we can't be open next weekend."

The next day, after breakfast, Ranma, Akane and Nabiki helped Ukyo move into her new home.  Nabiki had remembered correctly, there were several pieces of unused furniture that were useful up in the dojo attic.  Kasumi was sewing up some curtains to hang in the windows and doors and had promised to have them ready that day.  By noon, Ukyo had her grill up and operational and all the furniture was in place upstairs.  Everyone collapsed on the bar stools in front of the grill and watched Ukyo christen her new restaurant by making its first set of okonomiyaki.  After everyone had some food, they sat around talking and eating.  Nabiki was pleasantly surprised at how good her food was.  'This will work, Ukyo can really cook and we should get a lot of business.  All we need to do now is advertise,' she thought.  About the time they finished eating, Kasumi came bustling in, followed by Gemna, with all of the new curtains.  They spent the next hour or so getting all of the curtains hung.

Ukyo's eyes were full of tears of happiness as she looked at her pride and joy.  One of her dreams had always been to open her own restaurant, and with the help of her friends, her dream had come true.  She went around and hugged everyone in thanks, though she couldn't help but smile to herself when she saw the other three girls bristle when she hugged Ranma.  She deliberately held him for just a moment too long and then said, "Thanks, Ranma-honey, girls.  I appreciate all your help."  Kasumi invited her back for dinner, but Ukyo declined saying she wanted to stay home.  After that, the rest of them waved bye and left.

The next day, as Ranma was walking into the house, Nabiki called, "Ranma, you have a letter."  Nabiki handed him the envelope and he opened it.

He snickered, "Ryoga challenged me to a fight tomorrow at the park by the lake.  I guess I need to show up there Thursday or Friday to see if he makes it.  We need to keep an eye out for him though, there's no telling where he'll really turn up."

"Where am I now?" Ryoga cried out, standing in a dusty street on Friday afternoon.

A voice said, "Outside my restaurant, Ucchan's."  Ryoga turned and saw the boy that he had met previously outside of Nerima.

"Do you know where Ranma Saotome is?" Ryoga asked plaintively, "I'm supposed to fight him."

"Oh, you must be Ryoga.  Ranma is waiting for you at the park.  I'm on my way there to set up concessions if you want to follow me over there.  I'm one of Ranma's fiancées," Ukyo said.

"Fiancée?  I thought you were a boy?" Ryoga said.

"Nope, one hundred percent woman," Ukyo said, "Come on Sugar.  If you don't want to be late again, you need to follow me."

Ryoga followed the girl through the streets of Nerima until they reached the park.  There they found Ranma talking to Nabiki and Akane.  Ukyo peeled off and set up her okonomiyaki stand with flyers for her new restaurant.  Then she began yelling, Get your fresh okonomiyaki right here!"  Soon she had a large crowd gathered around the grill.  

Ranma walked over to Ryoga to try one last time to make him see reason.  He asked, "Ryoga, can we talk about this first?"

Ryoga replied, "There's nothing to talk about Ranma, because of you, I've seen hell!"

"Ryoga, I don't want to fight ya.  The only thing that I ever did ta ya was fight ya over the bread during lunch.  I thought ya got over that, after all ya let me take ya ta school and back, remember," Ranma said.

"Saotome, enough talk.  I came here to destroy your happiness," Ryoga growled.

"You're too late, then.  Pop already took care of that," Ranma said with a smirk, "All ya can do is ta try and hurt me.  Pop's done more ta destroy my life than ya ever could."

"Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!!" Ryoga screamed as he attacked with his umbrella.  Ranma dodged him easily, and ran in and kicked him in the stomach and hit him in his arms causing him to drop the umbrella.  Ranma hit him with an uppercut to the jaw that knocked Ryoga back several feet.

Ryoga pulled off several of his bandanas and threw them at Ranma.  He dodged each of them, and as they went by him, knocked them out of the air.  Ryoga cursed to see all of his attacks had come to naught.  He pulled off his belt and straightened it out into a blade and charged Ranma.  Ranma jumped away, but wasn't quite quick enough to avoid the stroke.  He felt the blade slice into his side.

"That did it Ryoga, now I'm done playing with ya!" Ranma roared as he closed in for the kill.  He leapt over Ryoga, kicking him in the head as soared over him.  Landing quickly behind Ryoga, he hit one of the pressure points in Ryoga's arm causing him to drop the blade.  Then he hit two more pressure points in rapid succession on Ryoga's neck, causing Ryoga to lose consciousness.  Ryoga collapsed in a heap on the ground.

Akane and Nabiki ran over to Ranma.  Nabiki asked, with concern in her voice, "Are you all right, Ranma?"  Then she saw the blood pouring out of the wound in his side.  She ripped the shirt of his back, baring the wound, paling as she did so.

Ranma looked at the wound in his side, and said, "It's just a scratch."  He then sagged into Akane's arms while Nabiki cleaned the wound with a towel.  She kept pressure on the cut, with the towel, while Kasumi ran over with her first aid kit.  Kasumi got the bleeding under control and slapped a bandage on it.

"Ukyo, bring me some cold water!" Nabiki called.  Ukyo ran over with a pail, and gave it to Nabiki.  Nabiki poured the water over Ryoga, turning him into a pig.  "Ukyo, grab P-chan here and his clothing.  We need to get Ranma over to the clinic for Dr. Tofu to patch him up," she said.

As they neared the clinic, Kasumi took off toward home.  Akane and Nabiki helped Ranma into the clinic, with Ukyo coming up behind with P-chan.  Dr. Tofu ran over and helped Ranma into the exam room and asked, "What happened?"

"Ranma got sliced open.  You need to take a look at the wound," Ukyo said.

Tofu carefully removed the bandage.  The bleeding had pretty much stopped.  He began cleaning the area around the wound to expose a long shallow gash in Ranma's side.  Tofu stitched him up quickly and neatly, and then placed a clean bandage over the wound.  "Ranma, you need to not exert yourself for a few days to let the wound heal.  Try to stay in bed or at least lying down as much as possible.  I'll come by in a few days to check on you," Tofu said, "Now, who did this to you?"

Nabiki pointed to the pig who was still unconscious.  "Ryoga here," she said, "He's got a Jusenkyo curse too and blames Ranma for his life being ruined.  He's almost as big a nutcase as Kuno."  Ukyo dropped Ryoga's clothing on the floor.

"You can change him back with hot water.  We're going to take Ranchan home," Ukyo said.

"Doc, what happens if I change?  Will the stitches be ok?" Ranma asked, "As much of a water magnet as I am, I can't imagine not getting wet."

Tofu sighed, "You're probably right.  Put on one of these gowns, and then you can change and we'll see what happens."  Ranma put one of the gowns on and allowed Tofu to pour cold water over him.  As he changed, she felt the stitches move.  Tofu moved the gown out of the way enough to remove the bandage and inspected his handiwork.  "Everything looks okay, Ranma, but you probably ought to stay this way until you heal, just in case," Tofu said.

Ranma went into the waiting room and found that Kasumi had returned carrying a shirt.  Ranma put the shirt on after discarding the gown.  Tofu then joined them and saw Kasumi.  "K-k-kasumi, what are you doing here," he stammered as his glasses fogged up.

"Doctor, you're so silly.  I brought Ranchan a new shirt of course.  Nabiki tore the other one to shreds," Kasumi said.  Tofu began dancing around the waiting room and then took Betty out for a night on the town.

Ranma got some hot water and walked back into the exam room.  She threw one of the gowns over P-chan and then changed Ryoga back.  The shock of the transformation was enough this time to wake Ryoga up.  Ranma told him, "Get dressed, Ryoga.  Then you and I are gonna talk."

Ryoga asked, "Who are you, Miss?  Are you a friend of the Tendo's?"  Ryoga blushed.

"I'm Ranma, baka," Ranma said in disgust, "I thought ya knew that.  And I don't even want to know what made ya blush."  She left Ryoga in the exam room.

After waiting for several minutes, Ranma went back in to check on Ryoga, only to find him gone.  'Now how did he get lost in a room with only one door,' Ranma wondered.

"Let's go home, Ryoga disappeared somehow," Ranma said.

Somewhere, a bewildered boy was saying to himself, "Ranma turns into a girl, a cute girl, a well-built cute girl."  As a vision appeared in his mind, his nose started bleeding.  "Stop that, she's a boy, arrrrgh!" he screamed, "Ranma this is all your fault.  I can't believe I was thinking what I was thinking.  Asking you out on a date! Arrrgh!!!!!  Ranma, now because of you, I have really seen Hell!!!"


	14. The Amazons

Author's Note: This is a repost of this chapter.  I have corrected a couple of typo's.  Also, my thanks to Doctor Emmit Brown for catching how OOC that opening scene was.  It was supposed to be in an earlier chapter, where it would have made more sense the way it was originally written.  However, that would have introduced Shampoo too soon, so I moved it.

Chapter 14 The Amazons

Lunchtime at Furinkan High School found Ranma and Akane sitting outside, eating their lunches.  Ranma was being unusually quiet today; he didn't insult his father at breakfast this morning, he hadn't reacted to her teasing, and she was beginning to get concerned.  There was a certain rhythm to their relationship, starting with them teasing each other at breakfast, followed by her chasing him to school.  He had managed to stay awake completely in class, and even contribute to the lesson discussion.  It must be the coming of the Apocalypse.  She looked at Ranma; he appeared to be worried about something.  "Ranma what's going on?  You're not acting like you do normally?" she asked with concern.

"I'm not sure, Akane," he said slowly, trying to find the words to describe how he was feeling.  "I woke up this morning with a sense of foreboding, like something bad is gonna happen.  Nothing's happened yet, so it's probably nothing, but I still can't shake that feeling.  It's making me much more sensitive to what's going on around me, and I didn't want to get distracted.  When whatever it is happens, I need ta be ready to react."

"So that's why you didn't tease me this morning, or insult your Pop, and why you paid more attention in class?" she asked.

Ranma looked startled, and then reached out and put his hand on hers.  "Akane, I enjoy teasing ya, that's all.  Remember the way Pop shows affection to me is ta insult me; I guess I learned that lesson too well," he replied.

She blushed at the mention of showing affection, 'I guess he does like me,' she thought.  The feel of his hand on hers was sending shivers up and down her spine.  She would have said more, but at that moment her friend Sakura ran up.  Ranma and Akane snatched their hands away from each other.

"Ranma, I just heard.  Some girl was asking about you or your dad.  She says her name is Shampoo," Sakura said, "She's right over there talking to those guys by the gate."

Ranma looked where Sakura was pointing.  He saw a buxom girl, about his age, with long lavender hair.  His face paled, and then set in a grim line.  Sure enough it was Shampoo.  "Damn, I thought we lost her, I need to warn Pop," he said, "Akane, I have to leave."

"Ranma, what's wrong?  Who's that girl?" she asked.

He shook his head.  "No time, 'kane.  I gotta go!  If you want, come with me and I'll tell you once I've warned Pop," he said as he jumped up.  He ran to the back wall of the school, followed by Akane.  He picked her up, and then jumped to the top of the wall and then down to the other side.  He started running, still carrying Akane cradled in his arms.  She held on tight as he went on a direct line to Dr. Tofu's clinic, leaping up on roofs, over whatever obstacle were in his way.  When he reached the clinic, he went in and found the panda sweeping the floor.  He set Akane down, and then said, "Pop, Shampoo's here."

"Thanks," said the sign.  The panda ran out the door and disappeared.

"Ranma, tell me what's going on?" Akane asked worriedly, "She's not another fiancée, is she?"

Flashback

A cute, red-haired girl, a panda wearing a yellowed gi and a bandanna, and the Jusenkyo guide were walking toward a village.  The guide was explaining in his broken Japanese that this was a tribe of Chinese Amazons, and their elders knew a great deal about the curses.  Ranma was listening to him intently as he explained some of their customs.  The panda was ignoring everything except for the growling of his stomach.  The guide went on to say, "Honored customer, whatever you do, do not challenge one of the women.  If an outsider woman beats an Amazon in formal challenge, then Amazon tradition say that Amazon must kill outsider to regain face."  Ranma looked worried after hearing that and resolved to keep her cool and not respond to any challenges.  As they neared the village, he noticed a large feast laid out and two women fighting.  "We in luck, Ancient Amazon custom.  Village champion being selected, very rare sight," the guide said.  Ranma watched the fight, cataloguing their every move, not paying attention to anything else going on around her.  She was hungry, but she was fascinated by the various moves the women were making.  She thought she could pick up several of them pretty easily.  She decided to wait for everyone else to begin to eat.  One of the women, a girl about his own age, with long lavender hair was clearly the better fighter.  She finally knocked the other woman out with a hit from one of her bonborris.  The village erupted in cheers.  At that moment, the girl looked to where the feast was spread out, and shouted in anger.  Ranma looked over and saw the panda gorging itself on the food.

"Stupid Pop,' she thought angrily, 'I can't believe he is so stupid.'

"Very bad, honored customer eating Victory Feast," the guide confirmed.

The girl ran toward the panda, which got up and ran to hide behind Ranma.

"Pet very bad, eat Shampoo feast.  Must fight to regain honor," the girl said as she neared Ranma.  Or at least that's what she thought she heard.

Ranma said, "Wait a minute, he's not my pet, he's my father.  He just has a curse.  I didn't eat your food, I was too busy watching you two fight.  .Nice job by the way."

"What mean curse," Shampoo asked, breathing heavily.  Ranma had a hard time responding since she was too busy watching what the heavy breathing was doing.

Finally she said, "He fell in a spring at Jusenkyo.  You're supposed to know all about that.  Do you have any hot water, I'll show you?" she said.  Then she noticed an extremely old woman pogo-sticking her way to them on a long cane.  As she neared them, Ranma bowed, "My name is Ranma Saotome.  This is my father Gemna.  As you see we fell afoul of Jusenkyo.  I would like to apologize for his behavior, I'm sure he meant no disrespect."  'I think I handled that pretty well,' she thought.

"My name is Cologne," the old woman said, "You have dishonored my great granddaughter Shampoo by eating her victory feast.  You must allow her to regain her honor."

"Honored elder, as I was telling Shampoo, this is my father Gemna.  If we could get some hot water and change him back, I'm sure he would apologize himself," Ranma began.  An Amazon male, acting very subserviently, ran up with some hot water and poured it over the panda transforming him into a middle-aged man.  Ranma said, "We had come here to ask about Jusenkyo curses; the guide told us that you were considered an expert."

"Shampoo no interested in curse.  Shampoo must restore honor.  You fight me!" she said.

Ranma sighed.  "If you need to fight someone to restore your honor, fight the old man.  I was too busy watching you fight.  He is the one who dishonored you.  I have no responsibility for his actions," Ranma said.

'Xian Pu, the young girl is correct.  If you must fight someone, you must fight her father.  He is at fault here, not her.  Her actions have been honorable,' Khu Lon said to her great granddaughter in Chinese.

'But, Khu Lon, I mean great grandmother, he's so old,' Xian Pu whined.  Khu Lon just stared at her.

Shampoo pouted, and then said, "Old man, you dishonor me, fight now."

"Sounds like a challenge, old man.  You gonna back out or show what a martial artist you are?" Ranma said with a smirk.  'This girl should make him pay for what he did to me,' Ranma thought.

Her father growled at her, "Boy, you go too far!"  With that, Shampoo grabbed Gemna and dragged him over to the sparring area.

"Boy, I don't see any boy here!" Ranma said with a laugh, "You're on your own."  'Man look at how downtrodden the men are here.  I better stay girl while we're here,' he thought.

Gemna and Shampoo began fighting.  Gemna dodged several blows from her bonborris, and then finally grabbed one of them out of her hand.  Shampoo backed away in shock.  No mere man could do that to an Amazon woman.  She made another swing with her remaining weapon.  Gemna countered with the one that he had captured, and hit her handle with his handle.  Both handles broke off, sending the heads toward each other.  Gemna managed to duck the one flying towards him, but Shampoo wasn't so lucky.  She got hit on the head and knocked out.  'Damn, I guess she was too tired from the other fight,' Ranma thought, 'I thought she would last longer than that.'

Shampoo woke up.  She looked downcast, then glared at Gemna.  She walked over to him, kissed him on the mouth and then said in disgust, "Wo ni, Airen."

Ranma turned to Cologne, and asked, "That's not the Kiss of Death, was it?"

Cologne laughed, and replied, "No, three thousand year old Amazon tradition is if a male beats an Amazon woman in combat, then she is his wife.  That was the Kiss of Marriage.  Shampoo doesn't look too happy about it though.  Good, maybe it will finally teach her humility."

"Hey, Pop, couldn't you get a wife closer to your own age," Ranma called.  His father paled, ran over to Ranma and tried to run off.  Several Amazons stopped him however.

Cologne came over, "I don't think you will be going anywhere.  Ranma, you will be my new student.  You can move in with Shampoo, your father and I."  Ranma's ears perked up at the thought of learning some new techniques.

End Flashback

"So anyway, we ended up staying there about a month.  It wouldn't have been too bad if I hadn't had to be constantly on my guard about challenges.  I wasn't sure they would have considered me an Amazon or not.  Pop kept saying that we needed to escape.  Finally, I was able to sneak us out while the bulk of the tribe was off raiding another village; somebody called the Musk people.  Shampoo chased us for a while, but we lost her.  I guess she's been hunting for Pop ever since.  After all the dumb things that he did to me, I kinda think it's funny that he got himself into this mess," Ranma said, "I guess we might as well head on home and let Mom know."

Ranma and Akane ran home.  As they entered the living room, they stopped in surprise.  Shampoo was there, talking to Kasumi in Chinese!

"Ranma, Akane, this is Shampoo.  Well, not exactly Shampoo, but that is the closest we can say it in Japanese.  She came all the way from China to see your father.  I don't understand her dialect completely, but she seems to be saying something about Amazon law and being the wife of your father," Kasumi said, with a puzzled look on her face.

Shampoo interrupted, "Ranma no girl now, Jusenkyo curse, too?"  Ranma nodded.  "You know about Kiss of Death, that why you no fight Shampoo?" she asked.

"No, I didn't fight you because your complaint was with him.  I was tired of cleaning up after Pop's messes.  Besides, I saw you fight remember, I thought you would take him.  I was too tired to beat him properly, and it was time for his daily beating.  Are you sure you want to be his wife?  You do know that he is married already?" Ranma asked, "Is there a way to get you out of the mess you're in?"

"Shampoo no know.  Great Grandmother no tell Shampoo all laws yet.  Shampoo no have choice unless Great Grandmother tell Shampoo otherwise.  Shampoo send message to village, and ask," she said.

Kasumi said, "I asked her to stay here.  She doesn't know anyone here and she looked so lost when she walked in the gate."  Shampoo looked grateful.

"We need Nabiki.  She needs to do some research and see if there is any way out of this," Akane said, "Shampoo, why don't you send a message to your village?  After that, you look exhausted.  Would you like to go relax in the furo, and then change into some clean clothes?"

Shampoo nodded.  "Send message to Embassy, they get message to village.  Been long time Shampoo can relax.  Village no like this Japan.  Too many rude people.  You nice people," she said.  They arranged a message to be sent to the Chinese Embassy.  The lady there said it would take several days for a reply to be received.  After that Shampoo and Akane went into the bathroom.  Kasumi went upstairs, and then came down with a change of clothing for both of them and put them in the changing room.  Then she asked Ranma to call Dr. Tofu to come check on Shampoo.

Nabiki came home from school.  When she walked into the living room, she spotted Ranma, and said, "Well, I guess that rumor wasn't true, that you and Akane had run off together."

Ranma smirked, and said, "Well, actually we did.  I carried her away from school today at lunch, we just ran here."  With that, Nabiki sniffed, turned and ran up the stairs to change.  Ranma followed her, and knocked on her door.  ""Yo, Nabiki, I needed to talk to you.  I need your help," he said.

"Come on in, Ranma," Nabiki said with a sigh, "I heard about the girl at school today as well.  Another one of your fiancées, I suppose?"

"Not quite.  She's my step-mother," he smirked.  He laughed at the expression on Nabiki's face.  "Na, she's a Chinese Amazon who says she is married to Pop.  We ran away from her village, and I guess she has been tracking us ever since.  Remember I told you we stayed in an Amazon village for a month.  She's part of the reason."  He then proceeded to tell Nabiki the story that he had told Akane earlier.  "I need you to see if we can find a way for Shampoo to get out of this.  I don't think she really wants to be married to him."

"Sure, I'll get right on it.  It'll only cost you 5000 yen because I like you," she said.  

Ranma grimaced and said, "I'm sure glad I'm getting the family discount," as he handed her the money.

"Why are you doing this, though?" Nabiki asked.  Ranma looked at her, and then smirked.  He held out his hand.  Nabiki looked at his hand, and then chuckled.  "You're learning entirely too fast," Nabiki said, as she gave him back 1000 yen.

Ranma said, "I just don't think Shampoo needs to be stuck with him, and I want to make sure there aren't anymore Amazon laws that we need to worry about.  I don't want any of us to do something that might end up with one of us engaged to her, or marked for death.  Thanks, Nab-chan."  Then he left.  Nabiki shook her head, fired up her computer and began her search.

Ranma met his mother as she came through the gate.  He hugged her and then said, "We need to talk."  He repeated the story about Shampoo again.  At first, Nodoka was upset, muttering something about panda-skin rugs, but then Ranma said, "I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to be married to him; I think she is just following her traditions because she's scared and doesn't know what else to do."

Nodoka simply said, "Well, let's go meet my rival."  They walked in and found Shampoo helping Kasumi in the kitchen.

"Shampoo, I'd like you to meet my mother," Ranma said.

Shampoo turned and gazed at Nodoka.  She saw a reasonably tall, auburn haired woman, neatly tailored.  The only disconcerting things about her were her eyes, and the katana she was carrying in its sheath.  Shampoo sighed and then bowed, "Nihao, Ranma's mother.  Where honored husband?"  She took her bonborris out and laid them at Nodoka's feet, then bowed to Nodoka.  Major face faults all around.

Nodoka bowed back, to the precise angle that Shampoo had bowed.  She said, "Don't leave your weapons in the middle of the floor, someone might get hurt.  Come, we need to talk, child.  Kasumi, can I steal your helper away from you?"  Kasumi smiled and nodded.  Shampoo picked up her weapons, looking a bit happier, and followed Nodoka into the living room.  Nodoka said, in Mandarin Chinese, Xian Pu, my husband is not the man I thought he was when I married him.  I have discovered that he is without much honor, not particularly brave, a great deal dishonest and very egotistical.  He nearly destroyed Ranma in trying to train him.  Why would you want to marry him?  Is it just trying to fulfill your tribal law, or is there something else?  What do you want to happen?

Shampoo said, I know he has faults.  I saw some of them while he was in the village.  Aside from training in martial arts, the only thing he thought about was food and drink.  No honorable man would have run away from the village after defeating me in formal challenge.  He is much older than I am.  So no, I am not happy with the situation.  I wish it had been your son who had accepted my challenge.  I wouldn't mind being married to him.  But Amazon law says I must wed the man who beat me or face banishment

You are allowed to practice, though, it has to be a formal challenge before who wins matters, correct? Nodoka asked.

"Yes, it must be a formal challenge.  That was my mistake.  I was too arrogant to back down when Ranma and Great Grandmother forced me to challenge Airen.  Khu Lon told me that more than once before I left.  She said this should teach me humility, Shampoo replied.

Nodoka repeated the gist of what they had said to everyone.  Ranma looked a little worried when he heard the part about Shampoo wishing she had fought him and lost.  Akane and Nabiki both got mad, thinking 'Another woman chasing my Ranma, wait a minute, when did he become my Ranma?'

Ranma said, "I asked Nabiki to check into Amazon law, and we sent a question to the village about the situation.  Shampoo, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad I didn't fight ya.  I wouldn't want ya trying ta kill me, and I definitely don't want to be married this young."

"Shampoo understand.  Shampoo no want to be married this young either.  No choice now, stupid laws," Shampoo said, shocking herself with the last sentence.  She started sobbing.  Nodoka reached out and held her, allowing her to cry herself out.  Then Shampoo fell asleep.

"The poor child is exhausted.  She must have been running on nervous energy since she left home," Nodoka said, "Ranma, help me take her upstairs and put her to bed."  Ranma gulped.  He took Shampoo in his arms and carried her upstairs to the guest room.  He laid her on the futon and left.  Nodoka undressed Shampoo, took her weapons and laid them beside her on the floor and then covered her with a blanket.  She sat there looking as Shampoo, feeling very sorry for her.


	15. A Letter from China

Chapter 15 A Letter from China

Later that same evening, Ranma went in search of his mother.  His mom had been extremely quiet during dinner, and had vanished once the kitchen was spotless.  He found her back in the guestroom, watching Shampoo sleep.  She looked up as he entered the room, and then sighed.  She stood up and walked out, motioning for Ranma to follow.  Ranma followed her outside to the dojo, where Nodoka stood with her shoulders slumped for a moment.  Ranma went to his mother, and put his arms around her.  They stood there for several minutes while Nodoka composed herself.  When he felt her straighten up shoulders, he stepped back.

"Mom, you took the news a lot better than I thought you would.  Why aren't you furious?" he asked.

"Why should I be mad at that poor girl?  She's just following her laws, and trying to reclaim her honor.  She obviously doesn't want to be here chasing him.  Your father, on the other hand, he ran away, again, instead of facing his problems," Nodoka said,  "Do you know where he is?"

"Not really.  I suppose he could have gone to your house.  He might think he was safe there.  His things are still here, so he doesn't have any clothing or supplies, so he can't go too far," Ranma said.

"That's an excellent idea.  Why don't we go look for him at our house?" Nodoka said, "I think he needs to greet his wife properly.  After all, she's traveled a long way to see him and it wouldn't be manly to hide from her, now would it?"

Ranma and Nodoka came back to the Tendo home, Ranma carrying an extremely battered looking Gemna, tied up in several ropes.  "Where do you want him, Mom?" Ranma asked pleasantly, "It's warm enough to leave him in the dojo."

"No, I don't want to run the risk of losing him again.  Take him up to the guestroom.  Shampoo and I won't have any problems with him there," Nodoka said.

Ranma shrugged, and carried his father up to the guestroom.  There he found Shampoo still sleeping.  Ranma dropped his father on the other futon, while Nodoka sat down again to watch the two of them.  Ranma stared at his mother; still somewhat puzzled, and then left.

The next day, at breakfast, Gemna announced, "Boy, now that it's mid August and you've been out of school for a while, you need a training trip.  You're getting soft."

"Right, Pop.  That just sounds like an excuse for ya ta run away again.  I ain't falling for that one," Ranma said.

"I think it's an excellent idea Gemna, the four of us can go and keep each other company," Nodoka said, "What do you think Shampoo dear?"

"Shampoo want to go, Airen need watching," Shampoo said.

Two weeks later

"Oh my, it's been so peaceful and quiet while the Saotomes have been on their trip.  It's been such a relaxing two weeks.  I do hope they are having a good time.  Isn't tomorrow when they said they would be back?" Kasumi said as the girls relaxed in the furo.

"Yes, Kasumi.  Tomorrow is when they said they would be back," Akane answered, "I still don't understand why I couldn't have gone.  I needed to train too."

"Now, sister, it was sort of a family reunion for them, too," Kasumi said gently, "Didn't you realize that's part of the reason Nodoka went?  Besides, you had to run the classes in the dojo."

"Yes, I guess so.  It's just that I miss him, I mean, them," Akane said, hoping no one caught her slip.

Nabiki thought to herself, 'Sounds like Akane is getting serious about Ranma.'  "Actually, Kasumi, I've been bored to tears," Nabiki said, "there's been no strange people coming to attack Ranma, no new fiancées, no fights that I can make money on, no information to sell.  Plus father has been so miserable since he hasn't had any one to play shogi with, that I can't wait for them to get back."  'Well, Ranma anyway.  Though, if it keeps father from crying, then I guess it's worth having the panda back,' she thought.

"True, I do miss them, but it has been nice just the four of us," Kasumi said pleasantly.

"School starts Monday, are you ready to start that again, Akane?" Nabiki asked.

"Yes, I guess.  I just hope Kuno leaves me alone.  I got used to him being out of my life this past month.  It was nice that he went on vacation in Hawaii for a month," she replied.

"Well, maybe you'll be lucky and he'll have forgotten you.  They come back tomorrow, though, remember?" Nabiki said.

"Did you have to remind me?" Akane wailed.

Late the next day

"Ranchan, there's a letter for you," Kasumi called as she heard him enter the house.  He came running into the kitchen, and accepted the thick envelope from her.  He opened the envelope, and pulled out the contents.  His face grew puzzled as he unfolded the letter to find that it was a single piece of paper wrapped around another envelope.  The letter simply read. "Ranma, please give the enclosed to your mother. Do not let Xian Pu or anyone else know that you have received it.  Thank You, Khu Lon"

He remembered his manners and said, "Thank you, Kasumi-chan.  How was your day?"  He smiled to himself at how she giggled every time he called her Kasumi-chan.

"I received some good news in the mail.  I got my acceptance letter from the local college.  That means next semester, I will be able to take some of the courses that I have had my eye on.  Isn't that great?" she said.

He hugged her.  "That's fantastic, Kasumi-chan.  I am so excited for you.  This is the first small step to you doing what you want to do," he said, "Do you know what you want to take first?"

"I haven't thought that far, yet.  I was just so excited about the letter that I haven't stopped to think about that," she said, "I need to run this book that I borrowed over to Dr. Tofu.  Would you like to walk over there with me?"

"Sure, Kasumi-chan," Ranma said, then he smiled, "After all, what man wouldn't want to escort a lovely girl like you?"

"Oh, my, Ranchan," she said.  'Is he flirting with me?' she thought.

"I'll go run this letter upstairs and then we can leave," Ranma said.  He ran upstairs and shortly came down.  Kasumi put her arm through his and they walked over to Dr. Tofu's clinic.  As she neared the clinic, she let go of Ranma.  'Aha, she does have a thing for Dr. Tofu,' he thought to himself.

As they reached the clinic, the door opened and a patient came out.  He paled when he saw Kasumi and ran off.  They entered the clinic and found Dr. Tofu standing in the waiting room.  "Yo, Dr. Tofu, how're ya doing?" Ranma asked.

Dr. Tofu smiled, and said, "I'm fi   ."  He then noticed Kasumi standing behind Ranma.  His glasses fogged up, and he said, "Why Kasumi, funny to run into you here, tee hee."  He grabbed Betty the skeleton and began to dance around the waiting room, babbling incoherently.

"Oh, Doctor, you're so silly," Kasumi said, "I brought that book back, thank you for letting me borrow it."  She started to hand the book to the doctor, but Ranma intercepted it and took it into Tofu's office.  He walked back out, finding Kasumi watching the doctor's antics, with a disappointed look on her face.  'Why does he always act like this around me?' she wondered.  As soon as she realized that Ranma was there, her face relaxed into her normal, pleasant, slightly vacuous expression.  "Ranma, I guess I'm ready to go home now," she said.  A frown flickered across her face so fast that Ranma thought he had imagined it.

"Bye, Dr. Tofu, see ya later," Ranma said as he escorted Kasumi out the door.  She put her arm through his again as soon as they were out of sight from the door, and held the same arm with her other hand, almost desperately.  They walked a little way from the clinic, until Ranma noticed that she was silently weeping.  "Kasumi-chan, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Why does he always act that way around me?  Am I hideous, a horrible person, what's wrong with me to cause him to act this way?" she cried.  Ranma noticed that she was getting a bit of attention, so he picked her up and jumped up onto one of the roofs and went around to the other side of a chimney for some privacy for her.

"No, you're not horrible.  You're one of the prettiest girls I know, and also one of the nicest.  Any guy would love to have you as part of his life.  I don't know why Dr. Tofu acts the way he does around you.  All it takes is for someone to mention your name, or for him to see your face, and he goes crazy.  He's perfectly normal around Akane and myself," Ranma said.  She threw herself in his arms and held him tight.  He could feel her body shaking in her distress.  He held her tenderly as she wept.  Gradually, she became aware that he was holding her.  She calmed down, dried her tears and put her mask back on.

"Thank you, Ranma, I seem to be making a habit of this with you," Kasumi said, smiling weakly, "I'm sorry I'm such a burden for you."

"Kasumi-chan, you could never be burden to anyone," Ranma replied, "I can't imagine anyone thinking that of you."

"I imagine everyone is wondering where I am.  I guess I need to get back and cook dinner," she said.

"The heck with that, Kasumi.  If you want to go home and eat, I'll fix dinner tonight. Then you and I are going out for a movie.  You need some time to relax," Ranma said forcefully.

"Did you just ask me out?" Kasumi said incredulously.

"Sure, what are friends for, anyway," Ranma said, with a smirk.

Ranma and Kasumi went home.  By that time Nodoka had gotten in, so Ranma first ran upstairs and got the letter and gave it to her, cautioning her not to let Shampoo know of it.  Nodoka went up to Ranma's room, and opened the letter.  As Ranma had said, it was from Khu Lon.  It read,

Nodoka, 

I'm sorry we inflicted Shampoo upon you.  If I had realized that you existed, I would have prevented Xian Pu from challenging your husband.  Amazon Law recognizes that your claim comes first, and Xian Pu is not required to marry Gemna.  Xian Pu has always been a proud warrior, sure of her strength, but she lacks much in the way of relating to people.  In her arrogance, she did not recognize that.  I had hoped to use your husband to teach her otherwise.  Please allow her to stay with you until I arrive.  Do not let her know that I am coming.  Teach her if you would about your culture.  She has not seen as many years as I have, and therefore does not realize that my culture needs to understand the world around us.

Tell Ranma that I am proud of him as well, and hope that I may continue his training.  He is one of the best martial artists that I have met in my three hundred years.

I look forward to meeting you.

Khu Lon, Matriarch

When Nodoka came downstairs, she heard the clatter of pots and pans in the kitchen.  To her surprise, Ranma was in there making dinner, while talking to Kasumi.  He was preparing a relatively simple meal, but from the way he was working, it was obvious that he knew what he was doing.  Soon, everything was prepared and on the stove cooking.  "Ranma, why are you cooking?" Nodoka asked.

"I thought Kasumi needed a break, and I wanted to make sure I hadn't lost my touch.  After all, I did most of the cooking while we were on the road," he replied, "Pop could burn water.  He's actually worse than Akane in the kitchen."

"Yes, I remember.  I wondered how you two survived," Nodoka said.

"Mom, Kasumi and I are going out to catch a movie tonight.  Would you mind terribly getting the dishes taken care of?  We kinda want to leave right after we're done eating?" Ranma asked.

"Sure, you two have fun," Nodoka replied.

Dinner was a bit odd.  Well, considering this is Nerima, actually it was pretty normal.  Gemna looked extremely worried, sitting between Shampoo and Nodoka, especially with Shampoo feeding him and Nodoka absently stroking the hilt of her naked katana blade.  Kasumi was extremely quiet, Ranma kept half an eye on her as she served the meal.  Nabiki and Akane looked confused.  Soun was oblivious.

After dinner, Kasumi and Ranma got up from the table and went out the door.  Akane and Nabiki looked a bit surprised.  "Where are they going?" Akane asked.

"Out to catch a movie, why do you ask?" Nodoka asked.

"No real reason, I was just surprised.  I didn't think she was feeling well.  Dinner wasn't quite up to her normal standards," Akane said.

"Oh, that's because Ranma cooked tonight," Nodoka said.  Massive face faults all around.  She continued, "Also, I'm going to need some help cleaning up tonight, then Gemna, Shampoo and I will be going over to my house for the evening."


	16. Kasumi's Date

Chapter 16 Kasumi's Date

On the way to the movie theater, Kasumi asked, "Why did you ask me out tonight, Ranchan?"

"You looked like you could stand some cheering up, Kasumi-chan.  I didn't like seeing you so sad," Ranma replied, "Besides that's what friends are for, aren't they?"

'If only Tofu would act like this.  We've only known him for a few months and already Ranma seems like such a big part of our life.  I've had more fun in the last few weeks than I can remember,' she thought.  "Sure, Ranchan, that's what friends are for.  I think that you're the first friend that I have made in sometime."  She reached out and held his arm.  Ranma thought they were being followed.  He turned around once but didn't see anything.  If he had looked a bit quicker, he might have been able to see a short figure, hiding in the shadows.

They reached the theater and found a romantic comedy starring Jackie Chan.  That seemed like a pretty reasonable compromise, enough action for both of them.  Ranma bought a couple of drinks and a big box of popcorn.  They went into the theater and found seats in the middle of the theater.  The lights went down, and the trailers began to play.  They shared the popcorn; every once in a while, their hands would touch while reaching for the popcorn.  Occasionally, Kasumi would turn to look at Ranma's profile.  Fortunately, the darkness hid her blush.  'He's so handsome,' she thought, 'Once you get past the macho act, he's a real nice guy.  I wonder if he acts that way so he won't get too close to people.'  Kasumi loved to hear his laugh.  He was really enjoying the movie.

After the movie was over, Ranma and Kasumi started home.  Ranma said, "I thought that was a pretty good movie, Kasumi-chan.  I'm glad you recommended it.  The character that Jackie Chan played was really funny.  The fight scenes were very well done."

"I enjoyed it, also, Ranchan.  You were right.  I needed to get out and have some fun.  I can't remember the last time I had as much fun as I have had this evening," she replied.

They were nearly home when Ranma spotted someone on the roof of the house to their left.  The figure threw something at them.  Ranma pushed Kasumi out of danger, and then jumped to intercept the object.  It turned out to be a bunch of black roses.  As soon as his hands hit them, they exploded, propelling a gas into his face.  He fell, his muscles paralyzed.  Kasumi was unaffected; Ranma had gotten the roses before they had gotten near her.  Kodachi jumped down from the roof, saying, "I've come to rescue you from these peasants, my beloved Ranma."  As she was about to grab Ranma, Kasumi attacked her, knocking her into the wall of the house.

"He's not your beloved!" Kasumi screamed, "You witch, leave him alone!"  Ranma couldn't believe his eyes or his ears.  Kasumi never sounded angry.

Kodachi lashed out with one of her ribbons, attempting to hit Kasumi.  Kasumi dodged the ribbon and nailed her with a kick to the solar plexus.  As Kodachi folded in half from the pain, Kasumi came in with an uppercut to the jaw that rattled Kodachi's teeth.  Kodachi's head snapped back, and she slammed her head into the wall.  Her eyes glazed over and she fell to the ground.  Kasumi quickly tied her up with her own ribbon.  Ranma blinked in surprise.  He didn't think Kasumi was that good.  She must still be holding back in practice.

"Ranma, are you all right?" Kasumi asked anxiously.  He blinked his eyes at her, but that was all he could do.  She tried to pick him up, but she wasn't quite strong enough.  A couple of doors down however, she saw a watering can.  She ran to it, and picked it up.  Sure enough, it was filled with water.  She ran back to Ranma, poured the water over his head and watched him transform.  She carried Ranma home.  There her sisters met her, but ignoring their questions for the moment, she took Ranma upstairs to the attic room and laid her out on her futon.  Her sisters followed her up the stairs.

"What happened, Kasumi?" Nabiki asked.

"Kodachi attacked us.  Akane, please call the police and have them come here.  I left Kodachi tied up about eight houses down the street.  Akane, also get in touch with Dr. Tofu and get him here as well.  The gas bomb Kodachi threw paralyzed Ranma, and I'd like Dr. Tofu to take a look," Kasumi replied.

Akane gasped and then went to find the phone.

"What was Kodachi trying to do?" Nabiki asked.

"She was trying to take Ranma away from m, er us.  She was probably trying to get us both with the gas, but Ranma pushed me out of harm's way and then got the full effect of the gas.  I took care of Kodachi for now, but I want to press charges," Kasumi said.

Tofu and the police showed up almost at the same time.  Kasumi hid from Dr. Tofu until Akane had taken him upstairs to the guestroom.  After telling the police officers her story, she took them upstairs to show them Ranma.  Carefully she stayed behind the officers, to make sure that Dr. Tofu couldn't see her.  Then she told the officers where she had left Kodachi.  Tofu began examining Ranma, but soon realized there really wasn't anything he needed to do.  After he was done, Kasumi entered the room. His glasses fogged up and he said, "K-k-kasumi, how amazing to see you here," as he began to dance around the room.

Kasumi snapped.  "Pull yourself together, Tofu.  We don't have time for this nonsense," she said acidly.

Akane exclaimed, "Oh my, Kasumi!"

Nabiki stood there in complete shock.

Tofu stopped, wiped his glasses off and then replaced them.  He said, "Gomen nasai, Kasumi.  There's nothing that I need to do here.  All she has to do is come out of it on her own."

Akane showed Dr. Tofu out the door.  Kasumi gently herded Nabiki out of the room, and shut the door.  She went and got some hot water, and changed Ranma back, and then she stayed with him.  Ranma had closed his eyes and Kasumi thought he had fallen asleep.  She pondered all of the changes he had wrought in her life.  'He certainly lives up to his name, Wild Horse,' she thought, 'He's been here just under five months and already he's made me reexamine my life.  Now I can go realize the hopes and dreams that I had as a young teen.'

"Ranchan," she said softly, "What am I going to do with you?  I thought I loved Tofu, but what if what I felt was no more than a crush like Akane's.  I think he cares for me, but he acts so silly when he sees me.  I can't even talk to him.  You're different.  You treat me nicely.  You talk to me and I've really come to enjoy the chats I've had with you.  I know you care for me; I like you too."

Ranma's eyes flickered.  'I shouldn't be hearing this,' he thought, 'She's going to be so upset when she finds out what I've heard.'  He tried to groan, but he was unable to make much noise.  Fortunately, it was loud enough for Kasumi to hear.

Kasumi blushed, and her eyes widened.  'Oh my, how much of that did he hear?  I didn't mean for him to hear how I was feeling.  I thought he was asleep,' she thought.

Suddenly, Ranma's body spasmed, as the drug wore off.  He tried to talk, but his throat was still too tight.  Finally, he was able to say, "Kasumi-chan, thanks for rescuing me from that crazy Kodachi.  I hope she got the message.  What happened to her?"

"I had her arrested for assault.  Your mom is working on getting a restraining order as well," Kasumi said. 'Maybe he didn't hear me,' she thought.  "Thank you for taking me out to the movies tonight, Ranchan.  I had a good time.  I even enjoyed beating Kodachi up, too," she said with a smile.  Then she bent over and kissed Ranma on the mouth.  Ranma lay there stunned for a second, and then his body responded.  He kissed her back, his hands caressing her back, holding her tightly against him.  Reluctantly, she pulled away from him.  "Oh my," she said, "Ranchan, that really wasn't supposed to happen, but I'm glad it did."

"I don't know what came over me, Kasumi-chan.  I care for ya, but I thought it was as a brother loves his sister, and I thought ya felt the same way about me.  But when ya kissed me, it felt right ta kiss ya back," Ranma said, "But, I'm confused, I thought you loved Tofu."

"If you had asked me that yesterday," Kasumi said, "I would have said yes without question.  But after everything that we went through today, I'm not sure I could.  I don't know if this was just a reaction to Tofu's actions this afternoon and Kodachi tonight.  I was so afraid that I would lose you when you were lying there on the ground.  I'm not declaring undying love for you and I don't expect you to do so either."

"Kasumi, I need to take this slowly.  Please don't take this the wrong way either.  My father has starved me for affection for so long, that I'm scared that I'm overreacting.  I don't know how to act when someone shows they care," he said.

"I think I understand, Ranchan.  I've read enough psychology books to recognize that danger," Kasumi said, "You're the only person that really treats me as a friend, and I may be reacting the same way myself.  I won't pressure you."

He reached up and kissed her cheek.  "Thanks, Kasumi-chan.  I'm still feeling pretty wiped out.  I need to get to sleep.  Sweet dreams," Ranma said.  Kasumi arose and left, leaving him to go to her room.  Ranma lay there, gathering his thoughts, pondering what had happened.  Without him noticing, he drifted off to sleep.


	17. Aftermaths

Chapter 17 Aftermath

Ranma woke up early the next morning after a night of restless sleep.  He lay there for a few minutes, but soon gave up trying to get back to sleep.  He got up, tossed on some clothing and walked downstairs.  He crept quietly into Kasumi's room and saw her still asleep.  He walked over and turned her alarm clock off, gazing down at her smiling face.  He tore his eyes away, and made his way downstairs.  He quickly bathed and then went into the kitchen to begin preparing breakfast.

Kasumi woke up, refreshed from a peaceful night of pleasant dreams.  From what she could remember of her dreams, they had been very sweet.  She stretched, and then looked at her alarm clock. 'Oh my, how did it get to be so late?' she thought to herself.  Hurriedly, she rose, threw a robe over her pajamas and rushed downstairs in as close to a panic as Kasumi ever got.  When she entered the kitchen, she stared in shock.  Ranma was at the stove preparing breakfast, the bentos for lunch were prepared and the kitchen counters were clean.  She snuck up behind Ranma and twined her arms around his waist.  He jumped in her arms.  She giggled, and said "Good morning, Ranchan, thank you for making breakfast."

"G-g-good morning, Kasumi-chan," he stammered, "It's the least I could do for you saving me last night."

'Oh, no, he's so nervous around me,' she thought in panic, 'please don't start acting like Tofu.'  Her arms tightened around him, and he felt the tremor in her arms.

He turned in her arms to look at her.  "I couldn't get back to sleep this morning, so I snuck in and turned off your alarm.  You looked so peaceful and happy; I thought I'd let you get a bit more rest.  You looked like you were having a very nice dream the way you were smiling in your sleep," he said, blushing as he realized how close their lips were to each other.  "I am nervous, Kasumi-chan, I admit.  Something changed between us last night, and I don't know how to react around you right now.  I know we can't put the genie back in the bottle, so we can't pretend nothing happened, but I'm not sure how I really feel."

She gave him a quick peck on the lips, her eyes dancing.  She stepped back and said, "Well, one thing I'm feeling is hungry.  I better let you get back to cooking; it looks like the miso soup is coming to a boil."  He whirled back to take care of what he was doing.  "Sorry, I distracted you, Ranchan," she said with a laugh, "I won't deny I'm feeling confused right now myself.  I know I haven't felt this good in a long time.  Whatever else happens, thank you for that."

"There's enough time for you to soak in the furo, if you'd like," Ranma said, "I haven't heard anyone else moving around, so it should be available."

"That's a good idea," she said.  "Would you like to scrub my back?" she said with a wicked smile.

Ranma blushed again.  "Kasumi!" he gasped.

She laughed as she went into the bathroom.

At breakfast, Kasumi served out the meal to everyone.  Ranma was eating slowly, looking nervously at Kasumi.  Kasumi knelt there with an odd smile on her face, somewhat like that pictured in the Mona Lisa.  Looking at that smile made him even more nervous, but he wasn't sure why.

Nodoka stared at Ranma, and then asked, "Ranma, are you okay?  You sure are eating slower than normal."

"Yeah, Ranma, are you still shaken up from last night or something?" Nabiki asked.

"Last night, nothing happ   oh, you mean with Kodachi.  Yeah, that's got me shaken up a little.  That's what's wrong," he stammered.

Nabiki's eyes narrowed as she thought, 'He's hiding something.'

Gemna roared, "How could you be scared about something like that, boy?"

"No, I'm not scared of nothing, Pop.  It just shook me up to think someone would try that is all," Ranma said, "I didn't like not being able to move, you know."

Soun said, "Kasumi, breakfast was excellent, did you do something different?"

Kasumi began to say, "Father, I d'  then she noticed Ranma's expression, and changed what she was going to say, "Thank you."

Akane was looking very pensive.  'I wonder what's bothering her,' Ranma thought.  "Hey, Akane, are ya gonna be up for training session later?"

"Maybe," Akane said listlessly.  She excused herself and headed upstairs to her room.

A few minutes later, Ranma thanked Kasumi for the excellent meal and went outside.  Once he was out of view, he jumped up to the roof and made his way over to where he could see into Akane's room.  Sure enough, she was on her bed crying.  He jumped back down and went upstairs to her room and knocked on the closed door.  He heard her shuffle to the door and open it.

"Akane, do ya want ta talk about it?" he asked gently.

"I don't know, Ranma.  Maybe, come on in," she said sadly.  They made their way into room, Ranma sitting on the floor in a lotus position and Akane sitting in her desk chair.

"What's the matter with you, Acchan?" Ranma asked.  'Acchan, where did that come from and why did I call her that?' he thought to himself.

"I'm just depressed.  I thought I was one of the best martial artists in town before you came, and now even Kasumi is better than I am.  I can't cook.  I'm a tomboy.  I just feel useless," she said.

"I don't know why you think that, 'kane.  You are one of the better martial artists in town.  You've beaten Kodachi on her own territory; using tools that you weren't really all that familiar with, remember.  You might not have been a match for Kuno before I started training ya, but you could definitely take him now.  In fact, I bet you could beat anyone except Ryoga, Shampoo and of course, me.  Ukyo relies on her weapons too much, so while she'd hurt ya, you would beat her in the end," Ranma said, "As far as Kasumi is concerned, you have more skill than she does.  Kodachi wasn't expecting her to attack; I know I really wasn't.  There's nothing wrong with being a tomboy.  You're certainly not useless, you're as good a sensei as I am, so I don't know why ya feel so down."

"Do you mean all that, Ranma?" she said, her eyes suddenly bright.

"Acchan, I meant every word of it.  Now, give me one of those cute smiles of yours and help me up.  Sitting like this after falling so hard last night was a mistake," he said with a chuckle.

She smiled and pulled him up off the floor, and then hugged him.  "Meet me in the dojo, Ranchan.  I'm gonna change into my gi, and help work some of that stiffness out," she said.

He smiled at her, glad that he had been able to cheer her up.  "Now I'm scared, my favorite tomboy is gonna beat me up," he said as he ran out the door, followed by the sound of her laughter.

The next day

The month long semester break in August was over, so school was back in session.  After much protesting, Shampoo was going to school with Ranma and Akane, Nabiki having already left to get Shampoo registered and to start the betting pools.  All three of them were balancing up on the fence, with Ranma running behind Akane.  All of the balance training that Ranma had made her do had paid off.  They were almost there, when out of nowhere came the familiar cry, "Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!!" as Ryoga attacked.  He suddenly stopped in confusion, staring at the lavender haired Amazon girl who had her bonborris across her chest.

"No hurt stepson Ranma.  You hurt, Shampoo kill!" Shampoo said, her bosom heaving with exertion.

Ryoga stared in fascination at the sight, and then realized what he was looking at.  His nose started bleeding and then he fainted.

"Oh come on, Shampoo, at least wear a sports bra," Akane said, "The guys will sit there and drool over you otherwise, the perverts.  Hurry up or we'll be late."  Ranma and Shampoo shrugged their shoulders and ran off with Akane, leaving Ryoga slumped to the ground.

At lunchtime, Ranma was sitting outside eating his bento.  Akane, Nabiki and Shampoo were off talking to Ukyo.  It was a peaceful day, Kuno was nowhere to be seen, Kasumi had outdone herself with the lunch, and Ranma had actually gotten a better grade on the last test before the break than Akane had.  All in all, it had the makings of a good day.  Even the episode with Ryoga hadn't been enough to ruin Ranma's mood.  Of course, just mentioning Ryoga was enough to make him show up, and sure enough, Ranma saw Ryoga approaching.

"Ranma, can we talk?" Ryoga said.

"Uh, sure," Ranma said surprised, "No, Ranma Saotome, prepare to die, No, Because of you I've seen hell?  Are you sure you're not sick?"

Ryoga hung his head sheepishly.  "Not this time, Ranma.  I need to talk, not fight.  There's something I needed to ask.  First of all, was that really you in the clinic?"

"Yep, that was me.  I fell in the Spring of Drowned Girl.  I was pretty angry at Pop that morning, I guess that's why he didn't see ya, the stupid panda.  I feel sorry for ya.  At least I stay human.  I can't imagine how ya must feel," Ranma said.

"Yeah, tell me about it.  It's no fun looking like someone's dinner, that's for sure," Ryoga said, and then he asked, "Who was that girl this morning, the one that protected you?"

"Uh, that's Shampoo.  She's an Amazon that Pop and I met in China after we were cursed.  Their village is over by Jusenkyo, so we stopped there for a month.  Pop beat her in a challenge, so by their laws, she's his wife.  She and I got ta be good friends while I was there, though it felt funny her always calling me daughter.  After all, we're the same age.  It wasn't so bad when her great-grandmother called me that.  At least she's three hundred years old or something.  Why'd ya ask?" Ranma replied.

"Because she's gorgeous.  I think I might be in love with her," Ryoga said with a silly grin on his face.  Ranma face faulted.

"You've got to be kidding.  You just met and you couldn't have seen her for more than a second before you fainted," Ranma said in surprise.

"It surprised me too.  I guess it was that love at first sight thing.  I'm just so shy around women though; I don't know how to tell her," Ryoga said.

"Well, I'm no expert at that, either.  All I can suggest is that ya just go and try ta be friends with her.  Maybe she'll like ya," Ranma said, 'Man, he's got it bad,' he thought.

"Thanks, Ranma, you're a real friend," Ryoga said rushing off to find Shampoo.

"Man, that was so weird," Ranma said.

In another part of the schoolyard, Nabiki asked, "Ukyo, are you busy enough that you could use a waitress now?"

Ukyo thought for a while, and then answered, "Yes, I could use someone to help at the tables.  I've got the perfect outfit in mind for you, too, Nabiki."  Ukyo grinned at her friend and partner.

Nabiki face faulted.  "No, actually I was thinking of Shampoo here.  With that cute bimbo act she has, she should be able to make a lot of money in tips.  She also is a pretty good cook, if you want to start expanding your menu a bit," Nabiki said.

Ukyo looked at Shampoo, and then smiled, "Sure, sugar.  If you want to help out at the restaurant, that would be great.  What can you cook?"

Shampoo said, "Shampoo think it be fun.  Get bored sitting at home, nice girl and sword woman no let me help.  Say Shampoo take care of Airen, but Airen too busy being stupid panda.  Shampoo make too too good food.  Does spatula girl like Ramen?"

"That's settled then.  Why don't you come home with me after school and we can start today?  I can't pay you much, it'll mostly just be the tips, but I think I can give you a little something," Ukyo said.

"Just take some out of my share," Nabiki said, "After all, she's almost family, you know."  Major face faults all around, Nabiki being generous!!

"That won't be necessary, Nabiki.  Like ya said, my cute bimbo act'll get me plenty of tips," Shampoo said with a sly grin.

"Huh, when did you learn to speak Japanese that well?" Akane said.

"While I was teaching Ranma ta speak Chinese, he taught me ta speak Japanese," Shampoo said.

"I can tell.  You sound just like he does, slang and all," Ukyo said, "His grammar isn't the best, you know.  But why the act?"

"Shampoo enjoy it.  Easy to be thought stupid Chinese girl.  Big advantage, no?" Shampoo said with a smile.  All the girls giggled.  

"Why did you decide to let us in on the secret, then?" Nabiki asked.

Shampoo shrugged.  "Like ya said, we're almost family, and after the training trip, I realized that while our traditions are different, family and clan mean as much in your culture as they do in mine," she said, "After seeing that, this secret just wasn't something I wanted to hide anymore."

"What happened on the trip?" Akane asked.

"We trained, of course," Shampoo smirked, "Because of that, while I still have no great desire to have Gemna as my Airen, I do feel better about losing to him.  After watching Ranma and Airen practice against each other, I saw that Airen was a decent martial artist.  When I trained with him, only the fact that I was faster kept me from getting hurt.  I should have beaten him in the challenge fight, but I hadn't noticed how tired I had gotten or how much it had impacted my speed.  I also saw how much Ranma respected his mother.  That's when I realized his family was important to him, and suddenly, without my noticing, his family became important to me.  He also missed all of his almost family a great deal.  He hid it well from Gemna, but Nodoka and I both noticed.  Nodoka treated me as an equal, as if I were a respected warrior, and a member of her family."

"Are you going to try to fit in while you're in class?" Ukyo asked.

"Are you kidding, with my coloring and exotic looks, I couldn't hide if I wanted to.  No, I think I'll just play the Chinese bimbo girl.  Besides, it's a lot of fun, and I bet I'll really irritate all of the senseis!" she said with a giggle.  The other girls joined her laughter.  Then Akane stiffened in anger, frowning as she saw who was approaching.

"Ryoga, what are you doing here?" Akane said, "I'm still angry at you for cutting Ranma so badly the last time you two fought."

"Akane, I'm sorry about that.  But that's not why I came over here.  I wanted to apologize to Shampoo here," Ryoga said.  Xian Pu, I most humbly offer my apology for my actions this morning.  Please accept them he said in Chinese.

"Does everyone but me speak Chinese?" Akane said in some exasperation.

Ryoga, why were you attacking my stepson? Shampoo asked.

"Because of him, I've seen Hell, Shampoo.  We were sort of friendly rivals in junior high, and then he backed out of a fight.  I followed him to China," Ryoga replied.

"Don't forget to tell her about the springs, pig-boy," Akane growled.

Ryoga looked pained.  "Akane, how many times do I need to apologize to you about your hair.  Please stop calling me that.  Shampoo, what Akane is so crassly mentioning is that I turn into a pig because of my Jusenkyo curse," he admitted.

Shampoo giggled.  Ryoga hung his head.  I'm sorry, Ryoga.  I shouldn't have laughed at you.  I can't imagine how you cope with it, Shampoo said.

That's all right, Xian Pu.  Could we start over, I'd like to be friends with you? Ryoga asked, hopefully.

It would be nice to be able to talk to someone else in a civilized tongue Shampoo admitted, I guess we can try.  Ranma is my friend as well.  Can you be civil to him?

If it is that important to you, I will try, Ryoga said reluctantly.  The bell rang to announce it was time to return to class.

"Oops, that's the bell.  We've gotta run, Ryoga.  Why don't you come by Ucchan's tonight?" Ukyo said.

"If I can find it," Ryoga said as they all ran off to class, leaving him behind.

Later that day, after school

Nihao, Xian Pu Ryoga said as he entered Ucchan's and saw Shampoo.  She waved, and then pointed to a stool at the grill, where Ukyo was busily making okonomiyaki.  "Hi, Ukyo," Ryoga said, "Could I get one of those when you get a moment?"

"Sure, sugar.  What flavor do you like?" Ukyo replied.

"Uh, anything but pork," he said.  He looked around the room.  It was about three-fourths full of customers, most of them young men who openly stared at Shampoo and Ukyo.  Shampoo was in a very skimpy outfit, basically short shorts and a t-shirt.  She was busy taking orders and bringing the completed orders to the tables.  She bounced around the restaurant, entrancing the men.  Ryoga's eyes glazed over watching her in action.

'Uh oh, Ryoga's looking at Shampoo pretty strange,' thought Ukyo, 'I better warn her.'  "Hey, sugar, here's a squid okonomiyaki for you," she said to Ryoga as she placed the plate in front of him.  Ryoga jerked back to attention, and then started eating.

"Hey, this is good, Ukyo, I'm impressed.  This is one of the best I've ever had," Ryoga said.

Ukyo blushed.  "Thanks, Ryoga.  You're not such a bad guy after all, you know," she replied.

Shampoo came over about the time Ryoga finished his meal.  Nihao, Ryoga, she said as she bounced over to him.  Ryoga handed her a small bouquet of flowers, saying "These are for you.  Pretty flowers for a pretty girl."  Then his nose began to bleed as he saw what was happening under her shirt.  He got angry when he realized that he wasn't the only guy in the restaurant reaching for a handkerchief.  'Perverts' he thought, and then he asked, "How's business?"

"Business just fine.  Shampoo get many big tips.  Customers all very very friendly," she said brightly,  "Why Ryoga nosebleed?"

Ryoga blushed.  "I better go, Shampoo," he said.  He put some money on the bar, and ran off.

"Shampoo honey, I think he really likes you.  I saw the way he was looking at you.  Ranma said he was very shy.  I bet he came in here tonight to ask you out on a date and then chickened out," Ukyo said.

Oh, no, not another Msu Tse! Shampoo groaned, I thought I got away from that.  Ukyo giggled at the look of dismay on Shampoo's face.

"Come on sugar, it can't be that bad.  He is kind of cute, especially those two little fangs," Ukyo teased.

"This is just like in the village.  Stupid boy named Mousse have big crush on me and chase me all over village," Shampoo groaned.

"Arrgh, I blew it!!" Ryoga screamed.  'The love of my life and I couldn't talk to her.  That approach didn't work.  Maybe I need to be more forceful.  Hey, when did they get pyramids in Yokohama?' he wondered.

  



	18. Ranma's Birthday

Chapter 18  Ranma's Birthday 

Dinner at the Tendo home with the Tendo's and their houseguests was always interesting.  Tonight's dinner was no exception.  With the addition of Shampoo, and tonight Ukyo, to the evening meals, they had rearranged the seating around the dining platform.  Kasumi knelt at the head of the table, where it was easy for her to pass the dishes around; Nabiki was seated at her right, with Shampoo and then Gemna to her right.  Nodoka sat at the foot of the table, with Soun to her right.  Ukyo sat between Soun and Akane, and Ranma was next to Akane.  Nodoka's katana was ever present, and Shampoo's bonborris were never far away.  Between the two of them, Gemna was forced to behave.  Tonight, for some reason, Ranma felt very nervous.  Nabiki was across from him, looking at him with an odd, predatory smile.  Ukyo had glomped onto him in greeting when she walked in and only let go when Kasumi asked her to help in the kitchen.  Akane was sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with him, making contact with him every chance she got, her nearness beginning to make him sweat.  Kasumi just smiled at him with that weird Mona Lisa smile.

Ranma finished his dinner and said, "Kasumi-chan, dinner was especially good tonight.  You really outdid yourself."

Kasumi blushed prettily, and said, "Thank you, Ranchan.  There's dessert in the kitchen as well. Akane, Nabiki could you help me bring it in?"  The girls went into the kitchen and then shortly came out.  Kasumi was carrying a cake with seventeen lit candles on it.   Akane and Nabiki were carrying several brightly wrapped packages.

"Happy Birthday, Ranma!" everyone shouted.

Ranma looked at his mother, his eyes filled with tears of happiness.  This was the first birthday he remembered ever celebrating.  Kasumi set the cake in front of him and said softly, "Make a wish and blow out the candles, Ranma!"

Ranma thought for a while, and then smiled.  He took a deep breath and blew as hard as he could, and blew out all of the candles.  Everybody applauded.  Kasumi began cutting up the cake, giving the first piece to Ranma and then one to everyone else.  As they sat around eating, Akane asked, "What did you wish for, Ranma?  A cure for your curse?"

Ranma smiled, and then said, "No, but if I tell you, it's not supposed to happen, right?  And it was a good wish too, so I want it to come true."

"Open your gifts, boy," Gemna said, "Don't ya want to see what ya got?"

"I've already enjoying one of them, Pop.  The gift of friendship," Ranma replied.

He opened Akane's gift, inside her box was a handmade black scarf, with his initials embroidered on it in white thread.  It was wrapped around a small picture frame, containing a picture of her.  He hugged her in thanks.  She lightly kissed his cheek.

 He opened Nabiki's present, and found a collection of amines about a girl searching for lost jewel shards with her companions.  "Nabiki, this is one of my favorite series, thanks," he said as he hugged her.  Nabiki hugged him back.

Next he opened Ukyo's present, she had given him a small MP3 player, and a picture of her beside a yatai.  Ranma kissed Ukyo's cheek, and said "Thanks, Ucchan."  She blushed in surprise that he had actually kissed her.

Soun gave him a small, traveling shogi set for him to take on his training trips.  His parents gave him a laptop computer for his schoolwork.  His mother also gave him a small necklace, with a pendant shaped in the form of the Yin-yang symbol.  He bowed politely to Soun and his parents, but his mother pulled him into a hug, and said, "I'm so proud of you, Ranma."

Shampoo gave him a sandalwood box containing several different Chinese Amazon healing salves.  She gave him an Amazon Glomp, which had the other girls glowering at her.  "Stepson," she teased, "Try not to need these too soon."

Finally, he opened Kasumi's present.  It was a handmade, red Chinese shirt, made out of silk.  He hugged her, and then she kissed him.  They both blushed.

"Thank you, all of you," Ranma said, "I want ya ta know how much this means ta me."  He carried his presents upstairs to his room and then came back down to the dining area.  By that time, Soun and Gemna had broken out the sake and were engrossed in a game of shogi.  The girls were all helping Kasumi clean up the kitchen.

Several days later, Ranma was heading home from school by herself.  Shampoo had gone to work at Ucchan's and Akane had said something about staying late for a tryout for a play.

"That old lady just can't wait to get me wet," fumed Ranma as she walked home.  As she neared the Tendo home, she saw a small, old woman hopping down the street on a cane.  Ranma ran over and said, in Chinese, with a smile, Hey old ghoul, how've you been?

Cologne stopped and hit Ranma gently on her head with the cane.  Show some respect for your elders, child.  I've come a long way to talk to your Mother, she replied.

Great grandmother, I've missed you, Ranma said as she hugged the wizened old woman, Mom's at work still.  She should be home in about an hour, though.

Grandchild, it is good to see you too.  Is there someplace we can talk without being interrupted?  I don't want Xian Pu to know that I am here yet, Cologne said.

Sure.  We can wait in the dojo.  I'll show you where it is and then go change, Ranma replied.  She led Cologne over to the dojo and said, Xian Pu is at work.  Gemna won't be here for a while either.  He won't get back from his job until much later.  I'll be right back.  She ran into the house., and poured warm water form the ever present kettle that Kasumi always had ready.  "Kasumi-chan, Akane said she would be home later.  I'll be in the dojo for a while visiting with an old friend.  She wants to talk to Mom when she gets in, too," Ranma said, "Would ya let her know when she comes home for me, please?"  Kasumi smiled and nodded.

Ranma went back into the dojo to talk to Cologne.

So this is what you look like normally, grandchild, Cologne said.  If only I was two hundred years younger, she said with a sigh.

Not funny, Grandmother!!  I have enough women trouble as it is, he said, What with the arranged marriage to one of the Tendo girls, and all of the other fiancées Pop fixed me up with.

I think there is much of you life that you haven't shared with me.  What has your father done to you? Cologne asked.

Ranma told her the familiar story of his life with Gemna, about all of the different things he had endured and about all the times his father had sold him for food.  When he reached the part about learning the Neko-Ken, he was shocked to see how angry Cologne was getting.  Finally he was finished with his life story.  Cologne was livid with rage, only her finely honed control of her emotions, gained through three hundred years, kept her from erupting.

How much of this story does Xian Pu know? Cologne asked.

"Most of it, Elder," Nodoka answered from the doorway where she had been listening, You must be Khu Lon, welcome to Japan.  My name, of course, is Nodoka Saotome, the proud mother of Ranma and the unfortunate wife of Gemna Saotome.  She bowed gracefully to Cologne.

Cologne returned the bow.  "Mrs. Saotome," she began.

Nodoka interrupted, saying, "Nodoka, please."

Cologne smiled.  "Nodoka, again I apologize for allowing my granddaughter to challenge your husband.  It was not my intention to cause you any problems, she said.

Nodoka replied, "There's no need to apologize, Elder.  The problems that I have are not of your doing.  My husband has caused the many problems for us all.  Besides, I have an easy escape from the issue with Shampoo; I could simply give Gemna to her.  I like her too much to do that to her, and besides, no one deserves that kind of punishment."

Cologne chuckled dryly.  "I assume from that comment that you aren't exactly enamored with your husband.  If it is not too intrusive, may I ask what your plans toward him are?"

"It's still a bit premature for a decision.  I find myself extremely angry with him still for all of the havoc he has caused so I'm trying not to make any decisions about him right now.  I also want to protect Ranma from him and his fear of my displeasure is one of the tools I have to do that," Nodoka replied, "However, as pleasant as it is to discuss my husband's multiple shortcomings, I'm sure you didn't come all this way to only discuss this."

"True, I would like talk about Shampoo," Cologne said, "Perhaps my grandchild could get us some refreshments?"

"That's an excellent idea.  Ranma, why don't you ask Kasumi for some refreshments for our guest?" Nodoka asked.

"Of course, Mother.  How long do I need to take to ensure that you have enough time to discuss Shampoo without me overhearing?" Ranma said with a wry grin,

"Impudent child!" Cologne said with a chuckle, "About a half-hour should be sufficient, I would think, for what I would like to keep private."

"Okay, grandmother, Mom, I'll be back around then with some tea.  I think Kasumi has some that you will like, Grandmother," Ranma said as he left.

"Not that I really mind, but why do you call Ranma 'grandchild'," Nodoka said, curiously.

"We grew close in the village while he stayed.  He started calling me grandmother, and I decided that step-great-great-grandchild was just too cumbersome.  At the time, I was hoping that Ranma might actually stay with us, but I quickly realized that he wouldn't fit in," Cologne replied.

"Cologne, I have come to think of Shampoo as a daughter.  I hope you don't mind," Nodoka said, "You are aware that Shampoo doesn't want to marry Gemna, she just feels obligated to follow your traditions.  What are your plans for her now?"

"I agree with you that Gemna is not a suitable husband for her, or you for that matter.  However, I don't intend to tell her that yet.  I still want her to learn that she is too arrogant.  That is a common failing among us Amazon women.  I blush to think how long it took me to learn humility myself.  While we have a three thousand year old tradition to guide us, we do need to be aware of the outside world.  If we do not adapt to it, our culture will be destroyed.  One of the traditions that I want us to discard is both the Kiss of Death and the Kiss of Marriage.  I am grooming Shampoo to be the leader of the Amazons, and this experience will help her understand why that tradition is outdated," Cologne said.

"How can I help you with that?" Nodoka asked.

"Just be yourself, I suspect.  The report that I received from our people in the Embassy is that you are an extremely honorable person, intelligent, with a strong will.  Our culture honors that type of woman.  Shampoo will respond to you positively.  She needs someone outside of our ways to turn to, and she will turn to you.  She also had begun to boast of her skill in martial arts.  Ranma is a much better martial artist than she will ever be, and that will teach her that there is always someone better," Cologne said, "Between what I have taught her, and what she will learn from the two of you, I believe she will indeed be a worthy successor to myself."

"I am honored by your confidence in myself and my son, Cologne.  I also owe you a debt that this will help repay.  From what Ranma has said to me, your kindness and acceptance of him even though he was cursed, allowed him the time to accept who he was.  I know that you saved his sanity, possibly his life, doing that.  He learned a great deal from you, and is a better person because of it.  I thank you for that," Nodoka said.

"Is it safe to come in now, the tea is ready," asked Ranma from the doorway.

Cologne said, "We are finished for now, Ranma.  Please come in.  We can talk about other things over the tea, but I must leave soon after that.  I will let you know where I am staying."

Shampoo came out of the school building and started heading toward the restaurant.  She heard a male voice cry, "Shampoo!!" and then she was grabbed in a big hug.  "Say you'll go out with me, Shampoo, please," the boy pleaded.  Shampoo broke free and started running.

"Shampoo no date with you, I already have Airen," she said over her shoulder.  She ran as fast as she could to stay away from her pursuer.  Behind her she could her the sound of his footsteps.

"Shampoo!" the young man called as he ran after the love of his life.

Shampoo took one look at her pursuer and swore.  'Why did Ukyo hire him for the restaurant?' she thought, 'I guess she felt sorry for him, but did she really think what it would mean?'  She jumped up on top of the fence next to her and disappeared behind it, and then ran down an alley at random.  She looked back, 'Yes, she had lost him finally,' she thought to herself.  She headed back towards the restaurant hoping to get there before she was found again.  She shuddered at the memory of the hug she had just received before she had broken loose and ran away.  'Why doesn't he take no for an answer,' she thought to herself, almost tearfully, 'Stop it Xian Pu, Amazon women don't cry over men, you are a proud warrior.'  She reached the restaurant and walked in only to be confronted by her pursuer.

"Shampoo, I love you!" he cried.

"Shampoo no love you.  She already have Airen.  Why you no listen?" she said angrily.

Kiss me Xian Pu, go on a date with me!' he said.

"Baka!" she said as she splashed him with cold water, watching dispassionately as he turned into a small black pig, wearing a yellow and black spotted bandanna.

The pig protested, "Bwee!!" as she picked him up and put him in his cage.


	19. The Battle for Akane's Lips

Chapter 19 The Battle for Akane's Lips

That evening, Akane came running into the Tendo home.  "I'm home," she called out happily.

"Yo Akane, you sound happy.  How'd the tryouts go?" Ranma asked from where he was sitting in the living room.

"I got the part!  Juliet!  Romeo and Juliet!  I've wanted to play that role for as long as I can remember," Akane said.

"That's great Akane," Ranma replied.

"I thought you already did that play in junior high, Akane," Nabiki said.

"Yeah, but I was Romeo then, I wanted to be Juliet," Akane replied.

"Who's supposed to play Romeo?" Nabiki asked.

"They haven't cast the part yet.  Kuno was there and he was saying that only he could be Romeo to my Juliet," she said.  She shivered a bit at the thought of acting opposite Kuno, and her happiness dimmed.

"Ranma, why don't you try out for the part?  It's a romantic tragedy, but it's got some sword fighting in it," Soun suggested, "I think we have a copy of the play."

Ranma thought about it, and then said, "Let me read through it.  It might actually be fun, and I don't mind irritating Kuno either."  Akane went and found the book that had the play in it and gave it to Ranma to read.

Later that evening, after Ranma had read most of the play, he went and found Akane.  "I see why you don't want Kuno in the role.  Kissing him would just encourage him.  I'll see what happens when I tryout tomorrow," Ranma said,

Akane hugged him, and then said, "Thanks, Ranma, I sure hope you can rescue me from that fate worth than death." 'Besides, I don't mind kissing you,' Akane thought.  She got an impish look in her eyes, and then reached up and kissed him thoroughly.

The next morning, Nabiki woke up uncommonly early.  Something had been preying on her mind all night, causing her to toss and turn.  She lay there for a while, trying to remember what had been bothering her, but her mind was still fogged with sleep.  'Maybe some tea will help,' she thought to herself as she got out of her bed, and tossed on some clothing.  She stumbled downstairs and headed for the kitchen.  As she neared the entrance, she heard the clatter of pots and pans and knew Kasumi was in there preparing breakfast.  Then she froze in shock as she heard Ranma talking to her sister.  His voice had a playful quality to it that she had never heard before.  Then Kasumi replied in much the same manner.  Ranma and Kasumi were flirting with each other.  Her eyes widened in shock as she realized what had been bothering her all night.  Her sister was coming entirely too close to the man she wanted.  The occasional dates that they had gone on hadn't really bothered her too much since Ranma had been careful not to play favorites and to take all three girls out equally, but the conversation they were having concerned her.  It sounded like they were falling in love.  'I've got to stop that.  Kasumi deserves to be happy, I know, but so do I.  We've both sacrificed for this family and it's my turn.  Ranma's the only man that's ever made me feel this way,' she thought to herself.  Suddenly, a brilliant plan formed in her mind.  She knew what she needed to do right after breakfast, before she went to school.

On the way to school, Nabiki stopped at the Dr. Tofu's clinic.  He looked up in surprise as she entered.  "Nabiki, I haven't seen you since Kodachi attacked Ranma.  What a pleasant surprise," he said, "What brings you here?"

"Father asked me last night to settle our account with you.  Even though you have been kind enough not to ask, the amount we owed you was beginning to weigh on his mind," Nabiki said, handing him a small envelope that he placed in his desk drawer.  "Kasumi also asked me to return these books that she had borrowed," Nabiki added, placing several volumes on his desk.

Dr. Tofu's glasses began to fog up upon hearing Kasumi's name, but then he pulled himself together and asked, "How is Kasumi?   I haven't seen her either since then.  Is she still angry with me?"

"She was never angry with you, Doctor.  She was worried about Ranma and was upset with your foolishness.  At one time, she thought it was cute, but that evening it was getting in the way," she responded, preparing to throw out the hook.  "Since she saved Ranma, they spend a good bit of time together.  It's amazing what having someone to talk to, to share things with, has done for her.  I never realized how unsatisfied with her life she had been, but now she's almost like a different person."

"Just how close are they?" Tofu asked as the room started to feel colder.

"That's hard to say.  They've gone out on a date a couple of more times since then, but to be fair, Ranma has taken Akane and I out just as often, so I don't think that means anything.  He's just being friendly to us all, I'm sure.  Though it sure was interesting listening to them talk this morning before breakfast.  I could almost swear they were flirting with each other," she replied.

Tofu bowed his head in despair, and asked, "Have I lost her to him, Nabiki?  Did I drive her away with my pathological shyness?"

Nabiki smiled slightly and answered, "I don't know.  She's cared for you for a long time, I doubt that's changed.  Maybe you ought to talk to her yourself and find out.  You just need to make sure you can talk to her.  I know, one of the things I remember is that if you treat her professionally, you stay in control.  Maybe there's a martial arts technique you use that would keep your emotions in check."

Tofu looked startled, and then said, "Yes, I think I know of something I can use.  You're right, if I can concentrate on something else, maybe I can stay in control around her.  Thanks, Nabiki!"

She smiled and nodded.  "It's been pleasant chatting with you Doctor.  I hope we see you at the house soon.  I need to run or else I'll be late for class," she said, as she turned and walked out the door.

Later, at the Tendo home, Kasumi was hanging her laundry out to dry when Tofu walked through the gate.  "Why Dr. Tofu, what brings you here?" she asked politely.

'Remember, Soul of Ice,' he thought.  "You," he stammered, not looking at her directly, "I came to talk to you.  I've been meaning to do this for a long time.  There's something I've wanted to say."  He hesitated, and then said, "IthinkIloveyouKasumi."

"What did you say, Tofu?" she asked in surprise, "Did you say you loved me?"  He nodded not trusting his voice.  "Why didn't you tell me this before, while I was pining for you?" she said a bit sadly, "I was prepared to forget about you and move on."  She began to cry.

"Because I was too shy around you, Kasumi.  You are this beautiful woman and I was afraid you'd reject me," Tofu said.  'Stay focused Tofu, don't go crazy on her or you'll lose her. Remember, Soul of Ice,' he thought.  He hesitated, and then held out his arms.  She fell into his arms and cried on his shoulder.  "I'm sorry, Kasumi.  Please don't cry.  I'll leave if you want me to," he said, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"Don't you dare leave me, now, Tofu!" she exclaimed, her arms tightening around him, "I waited a long time to hear those words.  Why are you telling me now when I had about given up hope?"

"I was afraid that I had driven you away, toward someone else, but Nabiki gave me the courage to come talk to you, to tell you how I feel," Tofu replied, "To find out how you feel."

"I love you, as well, I have for a long time.  But I thought you had rejected me, so I was ready to give my love to someone else," she replied softly.

"Ranma?" he asked.

"Ranma," she replied, "The two of us have become good friends, and we were drifting into something more."

"Then is it too late for this?" he asked, nervously, as he took a small box from his jacket pocket and opened it, showing a ring.  "Will you marry me, Kasumi Tendo?" he asked.

She gasped and said, "This is extremely sudden, Tofu.  I need some time to think about this.  I'm not ready to become a housewife, I want to do more with my life than just wear an apron."

"Why would you think I want a housewife?  I know that you want to study medicine.  I think that's a wonderful plan!  I'd love for you to be my partner at the clinic as well as my wife," he said.

"That was my dream, Tofu," she replied, "Can I think about it and answer you tonight?"

He nodded and then grabbing his courage in both hands, he kissed her, pouring out his feelings through his lips.  She responded ardently, kissing him back passionately.  She felt her body begin to tingle.

She reluctantly pulled away, and then said, breathlessly, "Oh my, that was interesting.  I really need to think about this.  Please, come back tonight and I'll give you my decision."

Tofu nodded, and then hugged her one more time.  He bowed and left.

"Oh my, oh my!" she said, eyes lost in thought.

That afternoon, Ranma stood nervously on stage, wearing a bokken, staring up at the empty balcony.

Akane, playing Juliet appeared above on the balcony.

Ranma began speaking his part, saying, "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?  It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.  Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair than she:  Be not her maid, since she is envious; her vestal livery is but sick and green and none but fools do wear it; cast it off.  It is my lady. Oh, it is my love!  O, that she knew she were!  She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?  Her eye discourses; I will answer it.  I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:  Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, having some business, do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till they return.  What if her eyes were there, they in her head?  The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, as daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven would through the airy region stream so bright that birds would sing and think it were not night.  See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!  O, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!"  'Oh man, this sounds like something Kuno would say,' he thought, 'I could never talk like this to a girl.'

Akane said, blushing, "Ay me!"

Ranma replied, "She speaks:  O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head as is a winged messenger of heaven.  Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air."  He gazed lovingly upon Akane's face.

"O Romeo, Romeo!  Wherefore art thou Romeo?  Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet," Akane cited with passion in her voice.

Ranma replied, in a low voiced aside, "Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"

Akane quoted her next lines, saying, "Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.  What's Montague?  It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other name!  What's in a name?  That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; so Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myself."

Ranma said, "I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; henceforth I never will be Romeo."

The director said to himself, "He's doing a good job with this scene.  The emotion seems to be true.  I think   "

At that moment, Kuno came bursting onto the stage, proclaiming, "None shall play opposite the beauteous Akane Tendo save I, Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman, the Rising Star of Furinkan High, the undefeated champion, also known as the Blue Thunder!"  Fortunately, they were inside, so the lightning flash went unobserved.

"Kuno, this is my tryout!  However, I don't have a problem doing the scene with Tybalt now that you're here!" Ranma said, as he quoted from Act III, Scene 1, "Alive, in triumph! And Mercutio slain!  Away to heaven, respective lenity, and fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!  Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again, that late thou gavest me; for Mercutio's soul is but a little way above our heads, staying for thine to keep him company: either thou, or I, or both, must go with him.

Kuno said, "What?"

"That's not your line, Baka, you're supposed to say 'Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here, shalt with him hence'," Akane said from the balcony.

Ranma said his next line, "This shall determine that."  He drew his bokken and began attacking Kuno.  Kuno jumped back startled at the ferocity of the attack, and then drew his bokken.  Kuno swung his bokken, however Ranma parried and drew Kuno's bokken out of line.  Quickly, Ranma disengaged his blade, and struck Kuno square in the chest, knocking him to the floor.  Ranma courteously stepped back, allowing Kuno to regain his feet.  Kuno's eyes narrowed, and he said, "You are a better swordsman than I had realized, Saotome.  But you aren't good enough!!"  Kuno attacked Ranma again, but Ranma again parried the thrust.

Ranma smiled, and then said, "Kuno, you are so predictable with your attacks."  Ranma twisted his blade and Kuno suddenly discovered himself disarmed.  Ranma began chasing him around the stage, hitting him with the flat side of the bokken, until finally he knocked Kuno out.

The director walked over to Ranma and said, "Ranma, I don't need to see anymore.  You play the part as if you were born to it.  Congratulations, the part is yours.  But when did you learn the script?"

"Thank you sensei," Ranma replied, "I definitely enjoyed the last part of the tryout.  As for learning the script, my grandmother taught me an ancient three thousand year old Amazon training technique that allows me to memorize what I read.  I used it last night when I decided to tryout for the role."

Akane came running from offstage left, and hugged him.  "Congratulations, Ranma.  This is going to be so much fun!" she exclaimed.

"We start the rehearsals next week, with the performances in a month," the director said.

That evening, Ranma and Akane entered the house after the tryout.  Kasumi called out, "Ranma, could I talk to you?"  He followed the sound of her voice into the kitchen, where he found Kasumi working on dinner.  "Tofu came here this morning and we talked.  I'm not sure where he got the courage to talk to me.  We were able to talk without him acting silly, and, well, he asked me to marry him," she said, visibly glowing.

Ranma stiffened slightly when he heard that.  "What did you tell him?" he said, a little coolly.

"I haven't told him my decision yet, Ranchan.  I needed to think about what would make me the happiest, and then I wanted to talk to you first.  I felt I owed you that.  You're very special to me.  You've helped increase my self-confidence so much and made me see that I can indeed realize my dreams.  I do love you, but it's not what I feel for Tofu.  I want to marry him, but I don't want to lose you as a friend," she said.

Ranma hugged her.  "Kasumi-chan, I always knew that if Tofu ever got up the courage ta ask ya, then I really didn't stand a chance.  I just didn't realize how much it was gonna hurt when it happened.  I want ya ta be happy, and I promised when I came here that I wasn't gonna stand in anyone's way, remember?  If this is really what ya want ta do, then that's what I want ya ta do," he said, "You better call Tofu, and let him know."  He turned and left, not wanting her to see the pain he felt.

"Oh. Ranma," she said.

Kasumi went to the door and let Tofu in after dinner.  She kissed him, and then said, "Tofu, dearest, I know my answer.  Yes, I'll marry you!"  

Taking the ring from the box, Tofu slid the ring on her ring finger.  "We need to find Father, and tell him," she said.  She grabbed him firmly by the hand, and went into the living room where her father was reading his paper.

"Father," she said, "Tofu has asked me to marry him, and I have accepted.  May we have your blessing?"

Soun broke down crying, "My daughter is getting married.  I'm so happy."

"That went well," Tofu said.

The next week, Ranma and Akane were at the school, rehearsing a portion of Act I, scene 5.

Ranma was saying to Akane, "If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."  'Man, I sound like I'm flirting with Akane,' he thought.

Akane responded with her lines, "Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; for saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."  'I'm flirting with Ranma!' she thought in surprise, 'no this is just acting, right?'

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" Ranma recited, beginning to really get into the part.

"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer," she replied.

Ranma responded, "O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake," Akane said.

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.  Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged," Ranma said, then he kissed Akane.  'Oh man, I could really get to like this,' he thought.

Akane replied, "Then have my lips the sin that they have took."

Ranma said, "Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!  Give me my sin again."  Akane reached up and returned the kiss.  'I know I felt something then,' she thought.

Akane said, her eyes dancing with delight, "You kiss by the book!" 

Then Yuki entered, playing the part of the nurse, and said, "Madam, your mother craves a word with you."  Akane exited, stage right, where she ran into Nabiki.

"Hey, sis, you two looked like you were enjoying yourselves out there," Nabiki said teasingly.

"We were just acting Nabiki," Akane said, 'Yeah, right we were just acting,' Akane thought to herself, 'I know I liked every bit of the kissing.  These rehearsals are going to be so much fun.  Maybe he'll fall for me.  Don't stage romances often lead to the real thing?'

'I don't like the looks of this,' Nabiki thought, 'Don't stage romances often lead to the real thing?  I don't want Ranma to get too close to Akane.'  "How much longer will the rehearsal go on?" she asked.

"We were just going to rehearse Act I tonight, this is the last scene," Akane replied.


	20. Ranma Makes a Decision

Chapter 20 Ranma Makes a Decision

Nabiki walked over to Ukyo as she was heading outside to eat lunch.  "Hey, Ukyo, can I join you for lunch?" Nabiki asked, "I need to talk to you."

Ukyo hesitated and then asked, "How much this time?"

Nabiki smiled thinly, and said, "How can you ask that of your partner?  I don't have any information to sell.  I just wanted a chance to talk and see how things were going at the restaurant, is all."  Ukyo shrugged and followed Nabiki over to the shade of a large tree and sat down.  They started eating their bentos.

After a minute or two, Nabiki asked, "It looks like you're making a pretty good profit from the restaurant, based on the receipts that I've seen.  I was wondering if you were ready to expand, maybe start some sort of delivery service," Nabiki asked, making what passed for small talk for her.

"Yes, the three of us stay pretty busy every afternoon and evening.  What would it take for a delivery service?  We've been asked several times if we had one.  We'd have to hire someone else though, Ryoga sugar couldn't do it.  We could use Shampoo, but then we would need someone else anyway to help with the cooking and waitressing," Ukyo replied.

"I'm not sure what it would take.  Since it sounds like you're interested, I'll check around.  I've got some contacts, after all.  We can find someone else to work for you once we know what it'll take," Nabiki said. 'Damn, it's getting close to the end of lunch.  This took too long to set up.  Hope she doesn't figure it out.'  She gazed around the schoolyard looking for Ranma and Akane.  "Hey, Ukyo, isn't that Ranma and Akane sitting over there?" she asked innocently.

Ukyo looked at where she was pointing.  "Yes, that's Ranma honey and Akane.  They seem to be getting awfully close lately, since they started rehearsing the play. .  I haven't seen him in a while," Ukyo said, "It even looks like they are sitting shoulder to shoulder."

"Is that his arm around her waist?" Nabiki said.  'Damn, that's clumsy.'

"I can't tell.  He might be," Ukyo said, "I think I need to talk to my Ranchan and see what's going on."  She stood up, but at that moment the bell signaling the end of lunch rang. Ranma and Akane jumped up and raced into the building.  Nabiki and Ukyo looked at each other and then left to go their separate ways.  If one of them had turned to look, she might have seen Shampoo step out from behind the tree where she had been listening.  She had a thoughtful look on her face.  She wasn't exactly sure what she had heard, but it sounded exactly like some of the girls in her village when they schemed to get rid of a rival.  'I need to talk to Ranma,' she thought.

The next morning Ranma and Akane were walking to school.  For a change, Ranma was walking side by side with Akane, instead of up on the fence.  "Yo, Acchan, Shampoo told me something last night.  I need ya ta promise to listen and not get angry, 'k?" he asked.

Puzzled, Akane said, "Okay, Ranchan, I promise.  I'll listen."

"Shampoo overheard Nabiki talking to Ukyo, yesterday at lunch.  It sounded like she was kinda trying ta make Ukyo jealous.  After all, I haven't exactly had any time to talk with her lately, what with all of the rehearsing we've been doing.  Not that I'm complaining, mind ya," he added hastily, "I've enjoyed the time we've spent together on this.  She's probably gonna want ta try to come between us and make ya mad at me.  If ya can just not get angry, we'll defeat that plan, okay?"

"Two can play at that game, Ranma.  Tell you what, why don't we rehearse Act III, scene 5, the love scene, at lunch," Akane said with an evil grin.

Ranma chuckled.  "That's the spirit, Acchan," he said.

At lunch, Ranma and Akane found a shady spot in the schoolyard and began eating their bentos.  Ranma leaned against the tree and set his books next to him.  Akane sat as close to him as she could.  Ranma had finished his, when Ukyo walked over.

"Ranma honey, do you want an okonomiyaki?" Ukyo asked.  She tried to sit down between Ranma and Akane, but they were too close together.  She couldn't sit down next to Ranma because of the tree he was leaning against.

"Huh, no, Ucchan, I'm fine.  Kasumi packed a big lunch today.  I'm glad you're here though; we need someone to help read through this scene.  We need someone ta play the part of the nurse.  Do ya mind?" Ranma said, "This is kinda one of the big love scenes, and I'm not sure we've got it down right."

"Sure sugar, anything for you," Ukyo replied.

"Thanks, Ukyo.  Here, this is the scene we want to practice," Akane said, as she handed her a copy of the script, "Scoot closer, Ranma, I'll have to share yours," she continued.

Akane began reciting her lines, "Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near day: it was the nightingale, and not the lark, that pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear; nightly she sings on yon pomegranate-tree:  Believe me, love, it was the nightingale."

Ranma responded, "It was the lark, the herald of the morn, no nightingale: look, love, what envious streaks do lace the severing clouds in yonder east:  Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.  I must be gone and live, or stay and die."  'I still sound like Kuno,' he thought.

"Yon light is not day-light, I know it, I:  It is some meteor that the sun exhales, to be to thee this night a torch-bearer, and light thee on thy way to Mantua:  Therefore stay yet; thou need'st not to be gone," Akane replied.

"Let me be ta'en, let me be put to death; I am content, so thou wilt have it so.  I'll say yon grey is not the morning's eye, tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia's brow; nor that is not the lark, whose notes do beat the vaulty heaven so high above our heads:  I have more care to stay than will to go:  Come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so.  How is't, my soul? Let's talk; it is not day," he recited.

Akane said, "It is, it is: hie hence, be gone, away!  It is the lark that sings so out of tune, straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharps.  Some say the lark makes sweet division; this doth not so, for she divideth us.  Some say the lark and loathed toad change eyes, O, now I would they had changed voices too!  Since arm from arm that voice doth us affray, hunting thee hence with hunt's-up to the day, O, now be gone; more light and light it grows."

Ranma replied, "More light and light; more dark and dark our woes!"

Ukyo said, unsurely, "Madam!"

Akane replied, "Nurse?"

Ukyo read, "Your lady mother is coming to your chamber:  The day is broke; be wary, look about."  'I don't like this,' she thought.

"Then, window, let day in, and let life out," Akane said.

"Farewell, farewell!  One kiss, and I'll descend," Ranma replied.  He leaned over and kissed Akane weakly on the cheek. 'Sorry, Ukyo, you don't deserve this, but you shouldn't have let Nabiki use you,' he thought sadly.

"Okay, stop Ranma," Akane said, "Remember, in this scene, we're married and we just spent the night making love.  Do you really think that's the kind of kiss two lovers who are being separated would have?  What do you think Ukyo?  Don't you think it would be more like this?"  She leaned over and kissed Ranma hungrily, her arms pulling him tight to her body.

"Uh, the kiss you did was better, Akane," Ukyo said, jumping up, "Listen, guys, I gotta run.  I just forgot I was supposed to meet someone."  She hurried off, angrily.  

"That was mean, Akane," Ranma said, once he got his breath back, "But I think it worked temporarily.  I hope this will get Nabiki to back off.  I'm just sorry we hurt Ukyo like that.  You know I'm gonna have ta go apologize to her this afternoon."

Akane looked at her, and then looked down at the ground, and said, "You're right, Ranma.  I was a bit cruel.  There's a little time before we have rehearsal after school.  Tell her I'm sorry, too."

After school, Ranma caught up to Ukyo before she left the schoolyard.  "Ukyo, can we talk for a second.  I'm sorry about what happened at lunch.  Akane kinda got carried away.  We didn't mean ta hurt ya like that," he said.

Ukyo glared at him, and said, "You should be sorry, I didn't need to see her coming on to you like that."

"Ucchan, you're my friend, but that's all you are.  I've never encouraged you ta think differently, either.  After that date we had, I just don't see ya as a girlfriend.  I don't know what it was, but I never felt comfortable that evening," Ranma said.

"What's wrong with me, Ranma?  What do I have to change?  Have you fallen for someone else?" Ukyo said sadly.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with ya.  It's me.  I just don't see ya that way, is all," Ranma said, "As for there being someone else, I'm not sure.  I'm kinda confused right now.  Sorry, I gotta run or I'll be late for rehearsal.  See ya."  He ran off toward the auditorium.

Ukyo stared after him and said, "I'm not done with you yet, Ranma.  You'll be mine."

The evening of the final performance, the curtain had just come down on the final scene of the play, with the audience applauding wildly.  The curtain opened, and the actors came out for their curtain calls, with the loudest applause reserved for Akane and Ranma as they came out together as the last of the cast.  They bowed, and then Ranma ran offstage where he encountered Shampoo.  There he saw Kuno tied up.  Shampoo winked at Ranma and handed him a large bouquet of roses.  Shampoo said, "Kuno tried to steal these roses, just like you thought, Ranma."  Ranma bowed in thanks, then ran back and presented the roses to Akane.  Akane blushed prettily, and then blushed even more as Ranma held her in his arms and kissed her.  Then they turned and faced the audience again, and bowed, acknowledging the applause.  The curtains closed again, and then reopened for one more bow.  Finally, the curtains closed for the final time and they could go offstage.  They quickly removed their makeup and costumes and got dressed.  Ranma and Akane met each other outside of the dressing rooms, Akane happily carrying her bouquet.  She grabbed Ranma's hand and they walked outside to meet their family.  As they neared them, Ranma saw a slight frown on Nabiki's face, especially when she realized they were holding hands.

Nodoka beamed with pride at Ranma.  She said, "You two did wonderfully, that was an excellent portrayal of the two young lovers.  It almost looked like it was for real."

Kasumi hugged both of them, and then said, "I bet you two are really tired.  Let's get you home and into bed, the both of you."

"Yes, Mommy," Ranma said, with a laugh.  Kasumi swatted him playfully as they headed home.  "Actually, I am a bit tired.  The cast party last night dragged on entirely too long," he said, "I just want to crawl into my futon and go to sleep."

They reached the house and Akane put her bouquet in a vase of water and carried it upstairs to her room.  Ranma followed her to her room, and hugged her.  "Akane, I'm glad you talked me into this.  I actually enjoyed it, even though I kept sounding like Kuno spouting that dialogue," he said, with a laugh.

"Thanks again for the roses, Ranma.  I was afraid you wouldn't have known you were supposed to do that," Akane said.

"No problem, Akane.  I glad you like them.  Night, 'kane," he said as he walked to his room.  'It looks like we escaped all of Nabiki's traps.  I can't believe she was trying to make us dislike each other.  If I hadn't had Shampoo guard those flowers, Akane would have hated me for missing the tradition of the leading actor giving the leading actress a big bouquet of flowers.  I'm just glad Mom knew about that tradition, or I would have been a dead man tonight.  It would have been a major insult if I hadn't given her the flowers.  What's with Nabiki anyway?' he thought.

The next evening, Ranma was in his favorite spot to think.  After dinner, he had hopped onto the roof of the Tendo home, and lay there staring into the starry sky, pondering the decision he was about to make.  He had actually enjoyed performing in the play; while his first love was and always would be martial arts, he had come to realize that he wanted a broader lifestyle than that.  His Pop had given him a hard time about the play, saying that it would make him soft, and that a true martial artist wouldn't have wasted his time that way.  His mother however had supported his decision, though he couldn't help wonder if she didn't have an ulterior motive.  Performing in the play with Akane had acted as a catalyst for his thinking.  Somehow, because of all the time they had spent together, between studying for class, studying their lines, or later, rehearsing for the play, he realized his feelings for Akane had changed.  With her only real rival for his heart taken by Tofu, he had fallen hard for Akane.  Sure she was cute, especially when she smiled, she was turning into a very good martial artist. But she had a temper, she couldn't cook to save her life and insulted him occasionally now and then, though she had gotten better about that.

He chuckled at himself.  'I know that it's a show business cliché about stage romances,' he thought, 'but the reason it's a cliché is that it happens so often.  When did I finally really stop thinking about her as a friend and begin to see her as something more?  I know we will still have our misunderstandings, and get angry at each other, but we are getting better at listening to each other and actually hearing what is said.  Like I don't have a temper, and I don't occasionally say the wrong thing.  Right, who am I kidding.  Face it, when she does something nice for me, or smiles with those gorgeous eyes; my heart just melts.  You know you like her, really, really care for her.  If those dreams you've been having lately mean anything, you really don't think of her as just a sister.  Why can't you tell her what you feel, baka?  Maybe she feels the same way.'  He sighed, jumped down from the roof and reentered the house.  Reluctantly, he walked upstairs and knocked on Akane's door.  She opened the door and looked at him in some surprise.

"Ranma, what's wrong?  You look like you've been fighting a demon or something!" she asked when she saw how wrung out he looked.

"I been doing something much harder, I'm been thinking," he smiled a bit wryly, "Can we talk?  I need ta ask ya something."  She nodded and let him enter her room.  He shut the door behind him.  He knelt down on the floor and bowed to her.

"Akane, ya know that I like you and your sisters, doncha?" he asked.  She nodded, not sure where this was going.  "Well, what I was wrestling with this evening was about that.  I started thinking about you, and I realized that I'm not satisfied with just being your friend anymore.  I wanna be your boyfriend, I think I l-l-love ya" he said hopefully.

Akane gasped, and then blushed.  "Ranma, I really like you, too.  I never expected you to fall for me; I thought you'd end up with Nabiki, instead.  She's smarter than me, sexier than me and doesn't fight with you," she said.  She looked down for a second and then said, "I do want to be your girlfriend.  I love you."  He looked at her, eyes wide, not believing what he had heard.  She bent down and kissed him.  They had had a lot of practice kissing for the play, but this time it felt different.  Her eyes went wide as Ranma returned her kiss passionately.  They broke apart, blushing furiously.  "Where do we go from here, Ranma?" she asked shyly.

"We need to talk to your sisters, and let them know how we feel about each other.  I'll be surprised if they haven't already figured it out already though.  Now don't take this the wrong way, but I just wanna be your boyfriend, ya know.  I'm not ready for anything more," he confessed.

"I'm not ready to be a fiancée yet either," she said, "I'm still too young for that.  We'll have to be careful around our fathers.  They will start putting pressure on us to become engaged, or even marry, if they figure out that we love each other."

"I know, but the idea doesn't scare me as much as it used ta, you know.  When Pop and I first came here, the thought of being engaged was pretty scary.  Because of you, it's not anymore," Ranma said.  Then he heard something at the door.  He mouthed 'Keep talking,' as he went to the door.  Akane started saying something, but Ranma wasn't paying any attention.  He grabbed the doorknob and jerked the door open.  Nabiki fell into the room, dropping the glass she had had next to her ear.  Ranma caught her before she hit the floor.  He looked down the hall.  No one else was there.  "We needed ta talk ta ya anyway.  Glad you could drop in," Ranma said with a laugh.  He set Nabiki back on her feet and then noticed that Akane was looking upset.  Once he let go of Nabiki, however, she seemed to cool off.  'Uh, oh, a little jealousy there,' he thought.  "We need to get Kasumi, as well," he said as he ran downstairs.  There he found Kasumi finishing up in the kitchen.  "Kasumi-chan, we're having a meeting in Akane's room.  Could you join us please," he asked politely.  Kasumi smiled gently, hoping this meant what she thought it meant, and nodded.  They went upstairs and joined the two girls.  Ranma left the door open this time so he could hear if anyone came upstairs.

"We should have a bit of privacy," Kasumi said, "Our fathers went out in search of some sake.  Nodoka and Shampoo went with them to try to keep them sober."

"That's good," Ranma said, "Remember when we first started this plan, we uh."  Akane walked over and held his hand firmly, interrupting him.

"What Ranma is trying to say, is that we decided to try being a couple.  Just being boyfriend and girlfriend for now; not anything more.  Neither of us is ready for anything else."

Nabiki froze for a second, even though she had already heard most of what they had said through the door.  'Damn, I knew I should have done something about Akane.  I thought they were getting too close,' she thought.  "I'm happy for the two of you," she said, hoping that they wouldn't hear the pain in her voice.

Kasumi smiled.  "I've known for a while how you two really thought about each other.  I could tell from the way you were acting during your rehearsals at the house that something was going on.  I just wondered how long it would take for you to admit it to yourselves," she said.  Even though she was in love with Tofu, she felt again the little twinge of regret for what might have been.  She remembered the surprise she had felt at being hurt at how quickly he had seemed to turn completely to her sister. 'I didn't think I was that petty,' she thought.  She walked over to Ranma and hugged him, and said, "Thanks, little brother, you've made me very happy."

Ranma face-faulted, 'Little Brother,' he thought, and then he hugged her back.  "Little brother, that has a nice sound to it, Kasumi-chan," he said, "I kinda like having a couple of big sisters, doncha know.  My only worry now is what our fathers will do when they find out.  I don't want to pretend that we aren't a couple, but I don't want ta get forced into an engagement at my age, either."

"Maybe we ought to bring your mother in on this.  She takes contracts pretty seriously after all, and our fathers do have a contract.  We need to tell her why you want to wait until you're of age to marry as well.  We need to tell her of our suspicions about your father.  She would help keep him under control.  I can keep our father from doing anything drastic if he isn't encouraged by yours," Nabiki said.

As Shampoo and the parents came through the gate to the Tendo residence, Kasumi intercepted Nodoka.  "Auntie Nodoka, I need to talk to you," she said as she pulled Nodoka away.  Soun and Gemna were too out of it to notice, they kept walking toward the house.  Shampoo was curious and followed Kasumi and Nodoka.  Kasumi led them to the dojo, where they met Ranma, Akane and Nabiki.  Nodoka's eyes widened slightly as she realized how close Ranma and Akane were standing, and then gasped when she saw that they were actually holding hands.

"Did you two finally decide to admit your feelings to yourselves?" she asked with a smile.

"Great, were we the only two people who didn't know what was going on?" Ranma said with exasperation.  Kasumi and Shampoo giggled at the disgust in his voice.

"No, I'm sure Gemna and Soun are both pretty clueless," Nodoka said.

"Kuno doesn't know anything either, but then I'm not sure what world he lives in anyway," Nabiki said.

"Why do we need to talk?" Shampoo asked, "I'm just glad stepson made a good choice."

"You're right.  Akane and I finally realized how we felt about each other, but we want to just try being boyfriend and girlfriend.  We both think we are too young for anything else, right now.  So an engagement, much less a marriage, we just don't wanna think about.  We are all just afraid that if we start showing too much affection for each other, we'll be married before we can say no," Ranma said.

"For several reasons, we think that they need to wait for anything that serious until they are a bit older.  Ranma wants to wait until he is of age before he gets married, because we are afraid that if he does sooner than that, your husband would be named guardian for the property.  To be honest, we just don't trust him," Nabiki said, "They are also concerned about the rumor and talk that will happen at school if they were to become engaged."

"You're right not to trust Gemna.  I took a look at that report that you prepared about him, Nabiki.  It was pretty complete, but I had someone else do some digging and found a few more things out about him that I'm not happy about.  I think he would try to steal the property out from under you if we let him," Nodoka said, "However, if you two do decide to get serious, there are some things that I can do to prevent it from happening.  Don't worry about him if you do decide to get married sooner.  Besides, I don't want to wait too long for my grandchildren."

"MOM!" Ranma said with a blush.

"Auntie Nodoka!" Akane echoed.

"Seriously, it may be time for me to make a few decisions of my own," Nodoka said, "I have been reluctant to do so, but what you have told me tonight changes things."  Xian Pu, we need to talk, daughter Nodoka said, firmly.  Ranma took the hint and led everyone else out of the dojo.  Nabiki looked wistfully behind, but since she didn't understand Chinese, it wouldn't have mattered.  She made a mental note again to learn to speak the language.

Ranma led Akane around to the side of the house, and then picked her up and hopped onto the roof where he put her down.  "Remind me to teach ya how ta do that.  You should be ready," he said, "Please sit down, there's something else I need ta talk ta ya about."  They sat down, and Ranma held both of Akane's hands in his.  He hesitated, not sure exactly how to say the words that he needed to say.  "Akane, I want ya again ta promise ta listen ta me before ya say anything, okay?"

Akane looked concerned, and said, "Okay, I'll try."

"Akane, I love you with my whole heart, ya need ta know that.  However, one of the reasons it took me so long ta tell ya how I felt, is that there was somebody else confusing me," Ranma said.

"Were you in love with someone else?" Akane asked, trying not to get angry.

"Maybe, I'm not sure," Ranma said, "Kasumi and I felt something for each other, but I kept having the same feelings for you.  You needed ta know how I felt about her.  I can't have any secrets from ya that someone might use against us.  When Tofu asked her to marry her, it forced me to realize what I felt for you and then to realize that those feelings had strengthened.  That's when I began ta figure out that you were the one I wanted, but I had ta make sure.  I owed it ta you."

Akane sat there quietly, and then asked, "Are you sure you love me, Ranma?"

Ranma said, "Yes, I'm sure, dear Akane.  I wasn't just acting when we were on stage.  While those weren't the words I would have chosen, especially since they made me sound too much like Kuno, the emotions were real.  Tonight I finally let myself realize it."  He reached for her, and hesitantly kissed her.  She pulled him into a tight embrace and kissed back hungrily.  Eventually, they separated.  As he looked into her eyes in wonder, he remembered one more thing.  "Akane, what do you want to do about the kids at school?  I don't want to hide our relationship from them, but they are sure to ask lots of embarrassing questions."

Akane replied, "I don't want to hide, either, besides Nabiki will sell the story anyway.  We might as well be open about our feelings, and if any of the kids get too embarrassing, I'll make them regret it."

"That's my beautiful tomboy," he said with a laugh.

"Ranma, this has been a very surprising evening.  It's getting late though and we have school tomorrow.  Can we go inside now?" she asked.  Ranma picked her up and lightly jumped to the ground.  He carried her toward the house.  "Hey, I can walk, you know?" she protested mildy.

"I know, I just like having ya in my arms," he replied.

Author's Notes:  Again thanks for all of the reviews and constructive criticism.  I do pay attention to every one of them.  I hope you have enjoyed what you have read so far.

Now for those who are curious, when I first came up with the basic idea for this story I did intend for it to be Ranma and Akane as the pairing.  However, up until the previous chapter, it had changed to a distinct possibility of him ending up with Kasumi.  Then I rewrote the Romeo and Juliet story, and that really wasn't possible anymore.  For those not familiar with acting in a play, the cast does get extremely close.  After all, you spend several weeks, if not months, in close proximity, especially if you are the major stars.  I just couldn't see how Ranma and Akane wouldn't develop this kind of relationship.  At the end of the play, they would either love each other, or not be able to stand the sight of each other.  I chose the former.


	21. Nodoka Takes Charge

Chapter 21 Nodoka takes charge

"I swear, why am I such a water magnet, and why did I forget my thermos, Baka," Ranma said as she stormed through the gates into the schoolyard.  "Oh man, I'm really not in the mood for this," she said as she saw Kuno stalk toward them.

"Ah, it is the beauteous Akane Tendo and the spirited pig-tailed girl.  Have you escaped from that vile sorcerer, Ranma Saotome?  How I regret that I, Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman, the Rising Star of Furinkan High, the undefeated champion, also known as the Blue Thunder, was unable to free you from his clutches, Akane Tendo.  Having to share a kiss with him, oh the horror you must have felt.  I will remove that shame by allowing you to date with me," Kuno said, as he threw a rose at each of the girls.

They moved out of the way and with one voice screamed, "For the last time, I will never date with you."  As Kuno soared gracefully over the school, Ranma turned to Akane and said, "Nice uppercut there, by the way.  Let's get me changed back."

They ran to the guy's restroom.  Ranma opened the door carefully and saw that it was vacant.  She ran to the sink and started the hot water.  Once it got warm enough, she changed back.  Ranma quickly changed into the spare set of clothing that he had started carrying and left the room.  "Thanks for guarding the door, Acchan.  If we hurry, we should still beat the bell," Ranma said as he grabbed Akane's hand.  As they entered the classroom, the entire class face-faulted as they saw Ranma and Akane holding each other's hand.  Akane glared at everyone as they sat down at their desks, daring anyone to say anything.  The room quickly went silent.

Then Ukyo walked into the classroom, her face white.  "Ranma, is what Nabiki said true?  Are you in love with Akane?"

Ranma nodded, his eyes never leaving Ukyo's face.  If anything, her face got paler, and then the tears began to flow.  She turned and ran off.  Ranma half rose from his seat and then dropped back into it, and shook his head helplessly.  'Sorry, Ucchan,' he thought.  Akane looked at her boyfriend in concern.  "I gotta talk ta her soon, Akane, she's still my friend," he said softly.

'Oh man, it's going to be rough at lunch', Ranma thought to himself, just a little bit angry, 'We knew it was going ta be bad, but this is ridiculous,' looking at the huge pile of notes on his desk that he had received.  It looked like his pile was almost as large as the one on Akane's desk.  He could tell by the steam rising from the back of her neck, that she was furious.  'I really don't want to know what they asked her, do I?' he thought, 'She's worth it though.'

'I thought these were my friends, what kind of perverts are they?' fumed Akane, 'Lunch is going to be so embarrassing,' looking at the huge pile of notes on her desk that she had received.  It looked like her pile was almost as big as the one on Ranma's desk.  She could tell by the steam rising from the back of his neck, that he was furious.  'I really don't want to know what they asked him, do I?' she thought, 'But he is so worth it, though.'

"Ranma, wait up!" Akane called as she tried to catch up to her boyfriend.  Ranma stopped and waited at the gate to the schoolyard.  "Aren't you going to walk me home?" she asked.

"I can't, I got an errand ta run.  It seems some girl forgot ta tell her boyfriend that her birthday was coming up.  I had ta find out from Kasumi," he replied, with a smile, "If it wasn't for the note she put into my bento this morning, I wouldn't have known it was tomorrow.  I need ta do a little shopping for ya, now."

Akane blushed.  "Ranma, I'm sorry.  I should have known that you had no clue when I turned seventeen.  I'll see you at home then."  She kissed him, and headed home.  He stood watching her, his eyes tender as she walked out of sight.  He shook himself and headed off to shop.

As Ranma walked toward the jewelry store, lost in thought, it began to rain.  As he felt the familiar transformation, she woke up from her reverie and swore, "Damn, I shoulda been paying more attention.  I even brought an umbrella this time."  She walked into the store and started looking around for the other gift she wanted.  After looking at several chains, she finally found exactly what she was looking for.  She paid for it, had it boxed and gift-wrapped and put it in the sack with the other present.  She started heading home when she saw Dr. Tofu Ono walking toward her.

She waved gaily and called, "Yo, Doc!"  She lost her cheery smile as she saw the look of embarrassment on Tofu's face.  He turned as if to avoid her, and then obviously changed his mind.  He walked over to meet Ranma.  "Doc, what was that all about?" Ranma said, "It looked like ya didn't want ta see me or something.  Come to think about it, I haven't really seen much of ya since you got engaged ta Kasumi.  Are you trying ta avoid me or something?"

Tofu blushed in embarrassment again.  He stammered and said, "Yes, I guess I have been trying to avoid you, Ranma.  I wasn't sure how you'd react when you saw me.  After all, I basically took Kasumi away from you when I asked her to marry me."

Ranma giggled.  "Is that what's bothering ya?  I never had Kasumi in the first place.  You're the one she always wanted.  Something might have happened if ya hadn't proposed, but I'm happy for ya both.  You two belong ta each other.  Besides, didn't ya hear, Akane and I are a couple, now.  Hey, you are coming ta her birthday tomorrow, aren't ya?" Ranma replied.

"Kasumi told me about it.  I was a little unsure about coming, but this little chat has helped," Tofu said.

"Well, I don't think ya want ta disappoint Kasumi, Doc, so ya better show up," Ranma said with a smirk, "Seriously, I think the two of ya are perfect together.  Speaking of not disappointing Kasumi, I gotta get home for dinner.  See ya tomorrow, okay?"  Ranma started heading home for dinner.

Nodoka stood in the doorway to the dojo watching Ranma and Akane sparring.  While it was apparent that Ranma was still holding back, Akane was giving him a good workout.  Even in the short time that she had been staying at the Tendo's home, it was obvious to Nodoka that Akane had gotten considerably better.

Kasumi and Nabiki were watching from the side.  Kasumi had finished her workout with Ranma earlier, and she was just a bit sore.  Then, they both winced in sympathy as one of Ranma's attacks snuck though a hole in Akane's defense and knocked her into the wall.  Akane stood there gasping for breath, and then with a bright smile on her face, she attacked again driving Ranma backward with the force of her blows.  Finally, Ranma called time.

"Good workout, Akane.  How's the side feel where I got ya?" Ranma asked.

Akane smiled.  "It's a bit sore, what did you think it would feel like, baka?" she teased, "I'm ready for a long soak.  That'll take care of the soreness for tomorrow.  I'm not that fragile anyway, remember?"

Ranma smiled in relief and replied, "I know that Acchan.  I didn't hit ya too many times today, anyway.  Your defense is getting real good.  I can't hold back on my defense at all since your attacks are getting as good as they are."

Nodoka called out, "Ranma, if you're done, I need to talk to you."

"I guess we're done, let me get cleaned up a bit and I'll be right with ya," he replied.  He poured a bucket of water over his head, shivering with the cold and the transformation.  She grabbed a towel and began drying off as she walked over to her mother.  The girls took that opportunity to head to the furo and get a long soak to ease their sore and tired bodies.

"Ranma, I didn't want to bring it up last night, but what are you going to do about Ukyo?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma looked pensive.  "I really don't know.  She's the only one of the other girls that Pop swindled out of a dowry to show up, but that doesn't mean that she will be the last.  I can't be married to all of them, so while I can't just ignore her claim on me, I don't want to consider her a legitimate fiancée, either.  I can't give her any more weight than any of the others that just haven't tracked Pop down.  You saw the report, it's up to what, a dozen girls or so?" she replied, "I just don't know what the honorable thing to do for any of them is."  She sighed in frustration.  "I do like Ukyo, but I've told her I'm not interested in her as anything other than as a friend.  Akane is the only girl I'm interested in.  I think I made that pretty clear last night," she continued.

"I understand your frustration, dear.  Your father has done his best to damage our family honor.  I've been hesitant to do anything about it up until now, but as I said last night, I need to get involved.  Now that you've admitted your attraction to Akane, I assume you don't want that engagement agreement ended, but just all of the others?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma replied, "Yeah, I'd kinda like that one to stay intact.  If you can figure out a way ta break the others, that would be great."

Ranma waited for Akane to finish dinner, and then walked upstairs to her room with her.  "Akane, I want ya ta have this, as an early birthday present," he said, as he pulled a small gift-wrapped box from his pocket, and handed it to her.

She unwrapped the box, opened it and removed a ring with a gold chain threaded through it.  "I read of an American custom, where a guy gives a girl a promise ring.  I want ya ta wear this around your neck as a promise from me to you.  I know you're the girl I love," he said.

Her eyes filled with tears.  "Ranma, I love you so," she gasped as she put the chain on.  Her face glowed as she hugged him.

The next morning after everyone had left, Kasumi walked into the dining area to speak with her father, where he was finishing his paper.  She gracefully knelt down in front of him and said, "There is a student named Tatewaki Kuno who has been attacking Akane every morning.  Ranma has been defending her, but I think you need to make it stop. His sister is being a nuisance about Ranma as well," Kasumi said, "Perhaps you could enlist Auntie to help you.  

The next afternoon, before dinner, Soun and Nodoka walked over to the walled Kuno estate.  Upon reaching the gate, they rang the bell they found there.  Several minutes later, a small man wearing a ninja outfit opened the gate and inquired, "How may I help you?"

Nodoka said, "I am Nodoka Saotome, and this is Soun Tendo.  We would like to talk to Tatewaki Kuno.  Would he be available to speak with us?"

The ninja answered, "My master is in the garden relaxing.  I will convey your request to him."  He shut the gate.  After a few minutes, he returned and said, "The master will see you.  Would you follow me, please?"  He led them through a pleasant garden, filled with exotic plants, over to a secluded alcove overlooking a medium sized pond.  There they met a tall, well-built, young man, dressed as a Samurai, with a bokken strapped to his waist.  He bowed and said, "I am Tatewaki Kuno.  I assume you are the parents of the Fair Akane Tendo and the Loathsome Sorcerer Ranma Saotome?"

"My son is a man of honor, a martial artist of great skill, someone I am proud to be able to call son," Nodoka began, with some spirit, "If you have fought against him and lost, it is because of his greater skill.  I also understand you have been inflicting yourself on the one you know as the pigtailed girl.  You are in grave danger of insulting my family honor if you continue in both fighting my son and attempting to date the pigtailed girl against her express wishes.  If you do not amend your behavior, then my clan will have no choice but to call for a blood feud against you!"

"Why should I, the great Tatewaki Kuno, of the clan of Kuno, care what the Saotome clan thinks?" Kuno said boastfully.

"I wasn't referring to my husband's clan," she said, as she swung the sheath of her sword around so he could see the family crest emblazoned upon it.  Kuno's face went white as he recognized whose crest that was.

He bowed, "Gomen Nasai.  I meant no insult to either you or your clan.  I, of course, will bow to you wishes in this matter, and will no longer be a nuisance to either of your children," he said, the wind taken out of his sails.

Nodoka bowed, and replied, "Your apology is accepted.  See that you remain true to your word.  You must inform your sister that she should follow your example.  Her behavior toward my family is inexcusable as well.  If she does not amend.."

Kuno interrupted, "Pardon, honorable Nodoka, I will take it upon myself to ensure the my twisted sister no longer pursues either of your children.  I, too, have been displeased by her chasing of your son as well as the attempts on your daughter's life.  You have my word of honor as a samurai of the house of Kuno, that she will leave your clan alone."

Soun said, "That was well spoken, young man.  However, I am most displeased with you as well.  It has come to my attention that you are attempting to date my daughter Akane, and claim that you control who she may date.  Furthermore, you instigated the fights with the boys at her school.  I find this behavior to be most dishonorable.  It must stop at once.  My daughter is not interested in you and has told you so many times.  Do not pursue her anymore!"

"The Tendo family is a distant relation to myself, and therefore also under my protection, Kuno," Nodoka said calmly, "It would be prudent if your honored their request."

"Oh woe is me, to be told to forget about both the Fair Akane and the Fiery Pigtailed Goddess," Kuno emoted, "How could this day be any worse?"  He suddenly heard his sister's maniacal laughter nearing him.  "I will obey your most gracious request, now may Sasuke and I see you out," he said as he began herding them to the gate as fast as he could.  Suddenly he bolted through the gate and left.  Nodoka and Soun stared at each other, and then followed the ninja Sasuke to the gate.

The next day after school was over, Shampoo headed over to the restaurant.  She groaned as she realized that Ryoga had followed her out of the schoolyard.  She was concerned about Ukyo, she had missed school again today, and last night had been very quiet.  'Today, I talk ta her,' Shampoo thought.

"Shampoo!!" Ryoga called out as he chased her down the street.

"Stop chasing me, Ryoga," she replied, looking back over her shoulder.  She ran down the street as fast as she could, trying to lose Ryoga.  She cursed under her breath, thinking, 'How come this always happens to me?'

Ryoga continued to follow her.  "Shampoo!" he called again, "Wait for me!"

As they ran by, a silent figure stood watching, hiding on one of the rooftops.  The figure's face twisted with rage, as he thought, 'So, there's someone else chasing my beloved Xian Pu.  Well, as she always used to say, Obstacles are for killing!'  The figure chuckled grimly while he thought, 'Now to find that animal Saotome.'  Silently the figure disappeared from view.

Later that afternoon, Shampoo entered the Ucchan's.  Ukyo looked up from the grill, where she was cooking a seafood okonomiyaki.  She looked like death warmed over.  "Hi, sugar, where's Ryoga? Ukyo asked, "I thought you were going to bring him to work."

"Sorry, Ukyo, I forgot.  I left him behind.  I got so tired of hearing him say he loved me and wanted to date me," Shampoo said with a sigh.  Ukyo echoed her sigh, looking sad.  "What's the matter, Ukyo?" Shampoo asked, "I didn't think you cared that much about Ryoga."

"No, it's not that.  At least you have someone who says he loves you," Ukyo replied, "Even if he is a bit crazy, and turns into a pig when wet.  The person I love decided that he loved someone else.  I can't even blame either of them, since I never told him how I felt.  I never really pursued him very hard, just the occasional hug and bringing him lunch."

Shampoo shook her head.  "Ukyo, it wouldn't have mattered if you had.  There were only two women he was ever really interested in.  You never had a chance.  I'm just glad that Ranma never had to choose between Akane and Kasumi, because I don't think he could have ever done it," she said softly.

"If only I hadn't messed up the one time he got the courage to ask me out on a date.  I know he was just trying to be friendly and get to know me again, but it still meant a lot to me.  We'd had such a good time up until he brought me home.  I shouldn't have reacted the way I did when he changed into a girl as I was kissing him goodnight.  I tried to apologize, but it was too late.  He never wanted to go out with me again even though I asked him out several times.  I never did find out the bitch who threw the water balloons, either," Ukyo said with a sigh.

"Ouch, you know you really hurt him.  He's very sensitive about that," Shampoo said.  Ukyo looked so downcast that Shampoo hugged her.

"Shampoo! Why'd you leave me behind?  If I hadn't have run into these two, and followed them, I never would have made it to work tonight," Ryoga said as he entered the restaurant.  Ranma and Akane followed him in.  Ukyo paled as she saw them holding hands.

Ranma whispered, "Thanks for understanding, Acchan.  I need to do this for her."  Then he said to Ukyo, "Ucchan, can I talk ta ya in private?"

Wordlessly, she nodded and led him upstairs to her apartment.  They sat down next to each other.  Ranma fidgeted nervously and then said, "Ucchan, I'm sorry I hurt ya so bad.  I didn't realize that you were in love with me.  I just thought you were only interested in me as a way to regain your honor.  I should've known better.  Ya got ta understand that I don't love ya, though.  I love Akane, and once we're old enough, I plan to marry her.  I know ya found out that we're a couple yesterday at school."

"Yeah, I heard.  First, Nabiki made sure she told me, and then you confirmed it.  It's funny, I think she was expecting me to go ballistic and attack one of you.  That would've made a lot of sense, wouldn't it?" Ukyo said, bitterly, "Trying to win your love by fighting you or Akane.  That would make me as bad as Kuno.  No, all I can do now is wait and hope that you fall out of love with Akane, and I like her too much to wish that to happen.  Pathetic, aren't I?"

Ranma winced, hearing the pain and bitterness in her voice.  "Ucchan, don't waste any more of your life chasing me, please.  You deserve better than that," he said gently, "You're a wonderful girl.  I'm just not the guy for ya."

Ukyo began to weep.  She said, "Dammit, I did enough of this yesterday, I promised myself I wouldn't do it again."  Ranma looked helplessly at his friend, and then held her in his arms while she cried.  After a few minutes, she composed herself, and Ranma released her.  "Ranma, thank you," she said softly.  She reached over and kissed him for a long moment, and then said, "I think we better go downstairs now.  I'm sure I have customers waiting," Ukyo said.  They rose from the couch and headed downstairs.

Akane was waiting at the foot of the stairs.  She asked, "Ukyo, you're still planning on coming to the party tonight, aren't you?  You're our friend, and I want you there."

"Yeah, I'll be there for a little while.  We'll close early tonight and Shampoo and I will come.  I don't want to lose our friendship, Akane, but it's gonna be awkward for a while," Ukyo said.

"Ryoga is coming as well.  I still think he's a bit of a jerk for picking fights with Ranma, but he's not too bad otherwise.  He promised to behave," Akane said, "We better run, Ranma, we still have schoolwork to do before dinner."  Ranma nodded, and they went out the door.

"How'd it go with her?" Akane asked, as she walked with Ranma, holding his hand.

"As rough as I feared.  I think once she cried herself out on my shoulder, though, she was over the worst of it.  She did steal a kiss like I told ya I thought she would.  I like your kisses an awful lot better, though," Ranma said, "Thanks for trusting me."  He turned her around facing him and kissed her.  "Yep, definitely like yours better!" he said.

Akane smiled happily.  "We're need to hurry, Ranma," she said.  Ranma picked her up and started running.

Ukyo felt a little better.  As soon as she walked into the Tendo home, Akane had hugged her.  Then she had whispered, "If you're up to it, why don't sit next to Ranma, too."

And that's what happened.  Ranma found himself sitting between Ukyo and Akane.  Shampoo was a little nervous, Ryoga had managed to sit next to her, but to her surprise, he had been a complete gentleman.  The meal was again one of Kasumi's best.

Nodoka said to Kasumi, "This was wonderful, Kasumi. I want those recipes from you."

After they finished eating, Ranma and Kasumi went into the kitchen.  Shortly, they came out, Ranma carrying the presents, and Kasumi carrying the birthday cake.  She lit the candles, and set the cake down in front of Akane.  Akane thought for a while, and then blew out all of the candles.  "I hope your wish was a good one.  Mine came true after all," he whispered to her.

Her heart in her eyes, she turned and whispered, "You wished that we would get together."  He smiled and nodded.  Akane smiled back at him.  After everyone had gotten their fill of the cake, Akane began to open her presents.  Kasumi, practical as ever, had given her a cookbook, entitled "Zen and the Martial Art of Cooking."  Tofu had given her a book on pressure points.  Nabiki had given her several CDs.  Her father had given her a bracelet.  Shampoo and Ukyo had given her some clothing.  Nodoka and Gemna had given her a trip for two to a hot springs resort.  Ranma raised his eyebrows at that. Akane just blushed.  The present she especially liked was the one she got from Ranma.  He had given her a folio containing photographs from the play, signed by all of the cast and crew, with a copy of the program.  "This is the best birthday that I have ever had," she said, "Thank you all very much."  Ukyo and Ryoga soon took their leave, since they all still had school the next day.  Nodoka and Kasumi dragged a protesting Nabiki into the kitchen to help clean up, while Gemna and Soun did their normal after dinner activity of drinking sake and cheating at shogi.  Shampoo went to the room she shared with Gemna and Nodoka and began working on her schoolwork.  Ranma and Akane soon found themselves up on the roof.  They sat comfortably together, arms around each other as they stared at the sky.

"Akane, I've been thinking.  I think you're ready for some heavier training.  Your balance is excellent, your speed is getting pretty good, and your moves are nice.  I think it's time that you learn some of the ki attacks," Ranma said, "That means we need to go on a training trip or two.  If they are interested, I thought we might ask Kasumi and Tofu if they wanted to go."

She hugged Ranma, and said, "That would be wonderful, Ranma!  They need a chance to be away from all of this too.  You and I will have so much fun.  Oh well, we need to go back in and finish that blasted schoolwork."

Ranma grimaced and agreed.  They spent the rest of the evening working on their schoolwork, taking time out for the occasional bout of laughter, usually followed by a bit of kissing.  While it certainly took longer to get the homework down, it was much more enjoyable that way.  Finally, the schoolwork was finished, which was fortunate, because Akane had been yawning for several minutes.  Ranma reluctantly kissed Akane good night and then headed off to his room to go to sleep.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note:  I wrote this chapter deliberately as a Nodoka goes and fixes a problem chapter as homage to all of the fan fictions where she comes in and solves everything.  Don't worry, she won't do it again, VEG.

As always, comments and criticisms are welcome.  I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, and don't worry; I plan on several more chapters.  There's a lot of ideas percolating, I just need to get them to gel.


	22. Training Akane

Chapter 22 Training Akane

Ukyo slowly woke from a restless sleep.  Finding out yesterday about Akane and Ranma had left her unsettled, especially after seeing them holding hands at the party last night.  Instead of the dreams she had once had, last night had been nothing but nightmares.  The one where her father disowned her was the only one she remembered, but it had kept her up for hours, it seemed, until she could get her breathing back under control.  She trudged exhausted into the bathroom and stared at the person looking back at her from the mirror.  The haunted eyes of the stranger looking at her shocked her.  Instead of her normal vibrant expression, she was haggard and wan.  'Come on sugar, you're stronger than this, is he really worth beating yourself up over like this,' she thought.  In sudden deliberation, she took her pajamas off and stared at herself in the full-length mirror.  'I've been denying who I am for far too long,' she thought defiantly as she stepped into the shower and washed off.  After drying herself off, she dressed, ate a quick breakfast and headed to class.

***********************************

Kuno stood at the gate to Furinkan High School, waiting for the two people he least wanted to see but was forced by honor to talk to.  Finally, he saw Akane Tendo walking hand-in-hand with Ranma Saotome.  He tensed as they neared, and then remembering the discussion to be polite, that he had had with their parents, he forced himself to relax.  "Akane Tendo, Ranma Saotome, I, Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman, the Rising Star of Furinkan High, the undefeated champion, also known as the Blue Thunder, must have a talk with you.  Much as it pains me to say, I may no longer profess my love for you, the Fair Akane Tendo, or Ranma's sister, the spirited pig-tailed girl.  Upon my honor and the honor of my clan, I will submit to your wishes.  Forgive me for any dishonor my actions may have brought upon you," he said stiffly, as if each word pained him.  "I regret that my intentions, though honorable, were unwelcome.  I was unaware that they were causing you discomfort.  My sister, unfortunately, is so lost in her delusions that she will not listen to me.  Therefore, honor requires that I warn you of her intentions to harm Akane Tendo and to claim Saotome for her own," he continued.

Ranma looked at Kuno with grudging respect.  He said, "Thanks, Kuno.  I may have misjudged you as well."  He bowed to his erstwhile rival as equal to equal.  Kuno hesitated, and then bowed in return.

As Kuno straightened up, his eyes grew bright as he beheld a vision walking toward the gate.  A young lady of uncommon beauty and grace, with long brown hair, took his breath away.

"I beg your pardon, Ranma, but our business here is complete.  However, do you recognize this vision walking towards us?  She is indeed the fairest maiden I have ever seen.  No matter, I will find out," Kuno said, "Hold fair maiden, I, Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman, the Rising Star of Furinkan High, the undefeated champion, also known as the Blue Thunder, request the privilege of knowing your name."

The girl stopped in some confusion.  "Kuno, you know who I am, you've seen me often enough," she said, "Hi, Ranma honey, Akane."

Akane gasped.  "Ukyo, that is you," she said in surprise, "I almost didn't recognize you in that dress and with the way you have your hair."

"Ukyo Kuonji, you are a vision of loveliness.  Why have I been blind to your beauty?" gushed Kuno, "A rose for a much fairer rose."  He handed her a single red rose.  Ukyo stood stunned, and then blushed.

"Uh, guys, we're gonna be late," Ranma stammered.  'What the hell just happened here,' Ranma wondered to himself.

"Farewell, Fair Ukyo, I will meet with thee anon!" Kuno exclaimed as the other three vanished into the school.

As they rushed toward their classroom, Ranma asked, "What's going on, Ucchan?  You look real cute like this."

Akane whacked him lightly on the head, and said, "Baka, I'm standing right here."  Then she giggled.  Ukyo looked surprised and then joined her.

"I just got tired of looking like a boy all of the time.  I'm not one, so why should I dress like one," Ukyo said.

"It's just the sudden change, I guess.  I rarely ever see ya dressed in anything other than pants; this is a bit of a shock.  Looks like ya got a least one admirer, though.  I gotta say he's a bit crazy, ya know," Ranma said.  Then he said, under his breath, "Just be careful, Ucchan, I just don't want ya ta get hurt, again.  What I did was bad enough."  Akane looked at her in concern.

Ukyo sat there at her desk listening to the sensei drone on about the English language, staring at the pile of notes on her desk.  She was in shock.  So many guys asking her if she wanted to date, a few from the girls asking how she was doing.  It was kind of flattering that all these guys wanted to date her.  Maybe it was time for her to give up on Ranma, but she wasn't sure she was ready.  She tried to avoid looking at Ranma and Akane, but she could tell they were worried about her.  Finally, it was lunchtime.  As she left the classroom, Akane caught her by the arm, and said, "Ukyo, why don't you come eat with us, please.  You're our friend and always will be."

Ukyo reluctantly agreed and followed Akane over to their favorite spot to sit, Ranma bringing up the rear.  They sat down in a triangle, and began eating their bentos.  Akane said, "Ukyo, I really want to thank you again for that pretty blouse.  I can't wait to have a reason to wear it."

"You're welcome. Akane.  I thought it would look good on you.  The colors looked like they would work well," Ukyo said.

"I'm worried about you Ukyo.  Now that I can see you this close, it looks like you didn't sleep real well last night," Akane said, concern showing in her voice.

Ukyo smiled wanly, and answered, "You're right.  I had a bad dream last night about my father.  I don't remember much about it, but I woke up screaming.  All I remember is this horrible feeling of loneliness."

Ranma looked worried, and asked, "That doesn't sound good, Ucchan."

"Don't worry sugar.  I've had that kind of dream before, where I couldn't find my father," Ukyo said.  The bell rang at that moment, signaling the end of the lunch period.  They groaned as they gathered up their bentos and headed back into class.

Unknown to the three of them, Tatewaki Kuno was listening.  However, since his reality was different from everyone else's, what he heard was that Ukyo was missing her father and wanted to see him.  'Aha,' he thought, 'that is how I can impress the gorgeous Ukyo, by reuniting her with her beloved father.  What better way to show my love for her?  I shall return home and have Sasuke begin the inquiries immediately.  I cannot delay in restoring my beloved to the bosom of her family!'  Kuno ran off, heading for the Kuno estate.  Once he arrived, he bellowed, "Sasuke, attend me at once!!"

"Master Kuno," the diminutive ninja replied, running in from the dojo where he had been practicing, "What are you doing home from school so soon?"

"Much more important matters are afoot.  I rushed home to have you begin an investigation of the love of my life, Ukyo Kuonji," Kuno said.

'Love of your life, whatever happened to Akane Tendo and the pigtailed girl,' Sasuke thought.  "What may I do to assist you," he replied.

Kuno answered, "She has been separated from her father.  I wish you to track him down, so that I, Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman, the Rising Star of Furinkan High, the undefeated champion, also known as the Blue Thunder, may reunite my beloved with her long missing father.  What else could a true Samurai warrior do when I found out her dreams were so troubled?  If I can reunite the two of them, surely she will see how noble I am and will date with me.  Who could resist my manliness and nobility, after all?"

'Uh, how about the entire female population of Nerima,' Sasuke thought.  "I will contact Miss Nabiki Tendo and put her on retainer right away," he replied.

"NO FOOL, I wish no involvement of the Tendo family.  Use our family resources to find out the information.  I require it by the end of the week," Kuno said.

"Of course, Master Kuno, whatever you require I of course will do," Sasuke said.  'What a cretin,' he thought.

Finally the long day of school was over, Shampoo, and Ukyo were walking fast toward Ucchan's to begin preparing for the after school rush.  "Shampoo, I love you," Ryoga called as he chased after them.

Ukyo looked at Shampoo, and said, "We need him at the restaurant, Shampoo.  If you want I'll talk to him for you."

Shampoo sighed, and shook her head.  She stopped walking and waited for Ryoga to catch up.  "Ryoga, why do you do this when you know it's not working?" she asked in exasperation.

Shocked by the question, Ryoga stood lost in thought.  Finally, he answered, "Shampoo, I think you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.  I think I fell in love with you the first time I saw you.  When I see you, I just can't help myself, I start acting a little crazy.  I just wished you liked me."

"Ryoga, I don't dislike ya.  You're actually kinda cute.  I just don't like being chased.  It reminds me too much of someone else," Shampoo said.

"I'm sorry, Shampoo.  I guess Ranma was right.  He said I ought to try to be your friend first.  I couldn't believe he knew what he was talking about," Ryoga said, sheepishly.

Xian Pu, at last I've found you, a voice cried.  As one, they turned and saw a tall man, dressed in white robes, with long black hair, wearing a pair of glasses on his forehead.

"Mousse," cursed Shampoo, under her breath.  Then she said, "Mousse, talk Japanese, my friends do not understand Mandarin."

Mousse ran over and hugged Ryoga, saying "Shampoo, marry me!"

Ryoga face-faulted and then shoved him away.  He said, "Get away from me, you pervert!"

Shampoo said, "Silly Mousse.  That's not Shampoo, that was my friend Ryoga.  You're blind as a bat.  Why do you refuse to wear your glasses?"

Mousse put his glasses back on, "Very well, Shampoo.  Are you ready to return to the village to face me in challenge?"

"Mousse, I will not face you in challenge.  Besides, I already beat you, you cannot win against me," Shampoo said.

"But I was only three at the time.  I have trained all this time to be able to beat you, and when I came back from my last training trip, they said you were gone," Mousse said.

"While you were gone, I lost a challenge.  I already have an Airen.  You know the law, Mousse.  Now leave and don't bother me again," Shampoo replied.

"You heard her Mousse, now get," Ryoga growled, as he stepped between Mousse and Shampoo.

"I am Mousse, of the Martial Arts school of hidden weaponry, fool.  Do not stand between me and my beloved," Mousse replied.

"Well, I'm Ryoga Hibiki of the Martial Arts school of gonna kick your butt," Ryoga smirked, "Go ahead and try something."  He pulled his umbrella from his pack and prepared to defend himself.

"Shampoo can fight her own battles, Ryoga," Shampoo said in exasperation, "I am an Amazon warrior, after all."

"This is my fight, no guy hugs Ryoga Hibiki and gets away with it," Ryoga rasped.

Mousse jumped back, and flung several chains at Ryoga.  Ryoga swung his umbrella and broke them all.  Taking several of his bandannas, he threw them all at Mousse.  One of them cut the sleeve of Mousse's robe, causing it open up.  Ryoga charged, swinging his umbrella.  Mousse jumped out of the way, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Ryoga.  Ryoga blocked all of those items.  Then Mousse threw the kitchen sink.  Ryoga was unable to dodge that, hitting him in the chest, and putting him on the ground.  As Mousse was exalting in triumph, Shampoo hit him twice with her bonborris, knocking him out.  Ryoga stood up, and said, "Not a bad little fight."  He staggered, and Ukyo ran over and caught him before he fell.  They headed to the restaurant, Ukyo supporting Ryoga.

***********************************

As they sat upstairs in Akane's bedroom, working on their homework, Ranma asked, "Hey, I just remembered, isn't this weekend a long weekend off with no school?"

Akane replied, "Yes, we're off Friday through Monday, for some sort of flower festival.  I'd have to look at the school calendar.  I forget which one it is.  Why'd you want to know?"

"I got ta thinking, that would be a good time for me and you ta go on that training trip I promised ya.  We can ask your dad tonight at dinner, if ya want ta go," he answered.

"That would be great, Ranma!  But let me ask him, okay?" Akane exclaimed.

"Sure, he's more likely ta listen ta you anyway," Ranma replied.

Later that evening, as they sat around the dining platform eating, Nodoka asked, "Ranma, I've noticed that your grades are really improving this term.  They're much better than last term, but you seem to be studying about the same.  What happened?"

"Uh, well, uh," Ranma stammered, and then blushed.

"I kind of gave him an incentive, Auntie," Akane said, blushing as well, "For every right answer he gets on his schoolwork, he gets a kiss, and for every wrong one, I get to whack him on the head.  It's been a good motivator."

"Oh my," said Kasumi as she giggled, "Maybe I should try something like that with Tofu."  She eyed her fiancé suggestively.  His face reddened as he laughed.

"Sis!" Nabiki exclaimed, in shock.

"Dad, you know this weekend is a nice four day weekend.  I thought Ranma and I could use that time for a training trip.  There's a few things he wants to teach me that need a bit more space than we can get here in Nerima," Akane asked, her brown eyes pleading with her father.  He began to melt.

"Father, I'm not sure that's proper," Kasumi began.

"Actually, Kasumi, we thought that you and Doc might want ta come along.  That's if ya don't mind roughing it a bit," Ranma said.

"Well, that sounds wonderful, Akane, Ranma," Soun said.  'At this rate, we'll get the schools joined soon,' he thought.  

Gemna just grinned wide, and held up a sign saying "Way to go, boy!" until Nodoka hit him with the hilt of her ever present katana.

"Pop, that works better when you're a panda," Ranma said in disgust.  Then he asked, "What do ya think, Doc?  Would you two like ta come?  When I'm not working with Akane, you could sure teach us a few things too, and Kasumi could spar with all of us as well, ya know!" Ranma said, excitedly.

Tofu smiled.  "That sounds like a fun, actually.  I haven't had a good vacation in a while.  All those martial artists needing to get put back together, I suppose.  I'm pretty sure I still have a tent and a sleeping bag around somewhere.  When do you want to meet?"

"How 'bout right after school next Thursday.  We can come by here, pick up our stuff and then head out," Akane said.

"Oh my, this sounds exciting.  I haven't been camping in forever," Kasumi enthused, "Father, do we still have our camping gear?"

"I think I saw it when were clearing out the attic.  It should all be in the storage above the dojo," Soun said.

"Excellent, then its settled," Gemna said, "We'll go next weekend."

"Uh, Pop, you weren't invited," Ranma growled, "I said I was gonna teach Akane.  Besides, we need you and Mr. Tendo to teach the classes in the dojo while we're gone."

Gemna began to sputter, until Nodoka touched the hilt of her katana.  "I believe we have things to discuss that weekend anyway.  Don't we, husband?" she said coldly.  Shampoo grinned like a shark as she patted the shaft of one of her bonborris.

"Oh, of course, Nodoka.  How could I have forgotten," Gemna blustered, sweating, "Ranma, my boy, I can't go with ya.  You'll just have ta make do.  Nodoka reminded me of a pressing engagement."

Ranma just smiled at his mother in thanks.

Shampoo then told about her adventure that afternoon, when Mousse had shown up and fought Ryoga.  "Ryoga is okay, he basically just had the wind knocked out of him.  When I came home, Mousse was gone.  I'm sure we'll see him again, so watch out for him.  He may come here," she said.

'I need to get in touch with Cologne,' Nodoka thought, 'She can probably help with Mousse.'

Later that week, Nodoka got word from Cologne that she had witnessed the entire fight, and had taken care of Mousse.  Cologne had discussed the situation over with him and he had agreed to stay away from the Tendo home for now.  He didn't agree to stay away from Shampoo, but he promised to behave around her.  While Nodoka was satisfied with that answer for the moment, she made a mental note to herself to get together again with Cologne and find out exactly what her plan for Shampoo was.  While she knew what she was going to do with Gemna, she needed to ensure that it would not cause issues with Cologne.  They were striving towards a common goal after all, and she had gained a great deal of respect for the Amazon elder.


	23. Of Training Trips and Other Things

Chapter 23 Of Training Trips and Other Things

On Thursday, Ranma and Akane ran home from school, both of them extremely excited about the upcoming trip.  They had packed everything they needed the night before, so all they needed to do was get their gear, and wait for Dr. Tofu and Kasumi to get ready.  Once they got to the house, Kasumi called out to them, saying, "There's a snack in the kitchen for both of you."  They changed direction and entered the kitchen.  There they found Kasumi dressed for the trip in slacks and a knit shirt.  Her ever-present apron was hanging neatly on its hook.

"Thanks, Kasumi," they said in chorus as they began eating the snack she had prepared.  "Akane, I'm beginning to feel sorry for Ukyo.  Looks like Kuno has given up on us, but he sure is pestering her," Ranma said.

"I know, but she gave you such a hard time about Kuno trying to date you, that I can't help but think it's funny," Akane replied, with a smile, "I know I should feel sorry for her, but I put up with him for so long, it's kind of nice to see someone else as the focus of his attention."

"Tadaima," Tofu called from the entry.  "Is everyone ready, our train leaves soon?" he said.  Ranma and Akane jumped up and ran upstairs.  Akane ran into her room, and quickly changed clothes.  They met back downstairs, Ranma carrying a large backpack, and Akane carrying a smaller one.  Tofu was carrying a backpack almost as big as the one Ranma had, while Kasumi was carrying a medium size backpack.  They said their goodbyes to everyone, and headed off to the train station.  After catching the train that would get them close to their destination, everyone collapsed into their seats.

"Where is this place that you're taking us to, Ranma?" Tofu asked after a bit.

Ranma unfolded a small map.  "Here's the map that shows where it is.  As you can see, it's a couple of miles into the forest from the village train station.  As I remember, there's a good grocery store in the village where we can pick up whatever food we need that we don't already have packed.  Once we've done that, we'll take the trail up to the campsite.  The campsite is pretty good size, and runs on down to a small lake.  There's a hot spring at the other end of the vale that'll come in handy after we practice, as well.  We stayed there several times, but it's a little hard to find, so we should have plenty of privacy," Ranma said.

"Akane said that there where several things that you wanted to teach her, Ranma.  Can you describe them?" Kasumi asked politely.

"He said that he thought I was ready to learn a few ki attacks," Akane said excitedly.

"Yep, there's a couple of those that I think both of you can learn.  I also wanna teach her theKachu Tenshin Amaguriken, plus a couple of other things that Cologne taught me," Ranma said. "I'm glad you're gonna be with us Doc.  You can kinda keep an eye on us while we're learning to make sure I don't do something stupid."  After that, they all relaxed and watched the scenery go by until they reached the station.

After disembarking from the train, the four of them headed toward the grocery store.  There they bought several perishables and some ice.  Tofu was surprised when Ranma pulled a small ice chest out of his backpack and put the food and ice in the chest.  He put it all back into his pack, and they headed off up the trail.  It was still several hours until nightfall, so Ranma led them up the path at a moderate pace.  The path continued to climb, getting narrower as they went, and then began to wind around through a small narrow ravine.  Once they got through that, the path opened up again and they could see the lake in the distance.  "Oh my, it's lovely," Akane said, stopping to look at the vista unfolding before her, "How did you two find it?"

"I don't know.  Pop brought me here when I was young, but I don't know how he knew about it.  He never said.  I remember finding some carvings in a couple of the trees though.  One of them was Pop's initials, in a heart, with what I guess must be Mom's initials, so they must have been here before I was born.  It's always been kind of special to me because of that," Ranma said, "That's why I brought you here.  Kind of a family tradition, I guess."

"Ranma, I didn't know you were that romantic," Tofu said in surprise, "I'm impressed."

Ranma blushed at the unexpected praise.  "It just felt right, ya know," he said, "There's another carving that I think will interest the two girls as well.  I think it was their Dad and Mom."

Soon they reached the campsite that Ranma had remembered.  It was several acres in size, sloping down to the lake as he had said.  At one end of the large clearing were the remains of an old fire pit.  Ranma dropped his pack to the ground next to the fire pit and said, "This here's the place.  Looks like someone's been here since the last time we were here.  We cleaned up the area pretty good, and I know we didn't leave the fire pit.  I'm glad it's here, though.  That's one less thing we have ta do."  Everyone put their backpack on the ground and stretched.  Ranma started unpacking, getting a tent, and a dining fly out of his pack.  Tofu got a tent out of his as well.  They both began putting up their tents.  Both of them turned out to be nice size two-person tents.  While they were doing that, Akane and Kasumi put up the dining fly, near to the fire pit, but far enough away that smoke would be unlikely to enter.  Kasumi pulled a small camp stove out of her pack, and carried it over to the fire pit and began setting it up, while Akane ran down to the lake to get some water for tea.

"Ranma, put Akane's stuff in your tent, too," Kasumi said, sweetly, as Tofu put her pack in his tent.  He took out the bedrolls and spread them out on the tent floor.  Ranma looked a bit surprised at that, but shrugged his shoulders and complied.

Akane came up the slope with her bucket of water.  She looked at what was going on and said, "I thought you guys were supposed to be chaperoning us.  Looks like we're going to be chaperoning you two."  Kasumi blushed, and then smiled.  Akane put her water down next to Kasumi and walked over to Ranma.

"You okay with this, Acchan," he whispered.

She smiled and nodded, and then she said, "I trust you.  Besides, if you tried anything, I'd beat you up."

Ranma grinned and said, "That's my cute tomboy."

Ranma took the foodstuffs out of his pack and gave them to Kasumi.  As it turned out, most of her pack was cooking utensils and food.  She had arranged with Tofu to have the rest of her gear in his backpack.  Akane sat and provided Kasumi some company as she cooked, staring intently at what Kasumi was doing.  Ranma and Tofu worked around the campsite to get everything put together for the next day and to add a few amenities to the campsite.  Soon, Kasumi had dinner ready.  Ranma had dragged a large chunk of wood from the woods and set it on end as a sort of makeshift table.  It provided a relatively level surface once he dug it into the ground.  They sat around relaxing in silence, eating the wonderful meal that Kasumi had provided.

Akane finally broke the silence and asked, "Kasumi, this is the first time I really paid attention to how you cook.  You get all of your ingredients out first and then you always taste everything.  Is that what I'm doing wrong?"

"Well, that's the two biggest secrets, other than following the recipe exactly.  You should never make a substitution in a recipe until you've made it correctly several times.  Once you have enough experience, then you can begin to experiment.  I always check my recipes before I start anything.  I laid the kitchen out so I know where everything is, and everything has a spot.  That's been one of my biggest battles with Auntie Nodoka, her system is just enough different from mine that things aren't quite where they belong for either of us," Kasumi said with a smile, "If you noticed, when I started dinner, I put all the ingredients that I was going to use where I needed them, and put the rest of the food out of the way."

"Acchan, if you pay attention to what you are doing, and do it slowly, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to learn a few things this weekend.  It's just like learning a kata.  You start with simple steps, and slowly build up to a complicated routine.  But you can't run it full speed the first time, ya have to learn it slowly, and then gradually pick up speed.  You've just been doing martial arts for so long, ya just forgot how hard it was in the beginning to learn the simplest stuff," Ranma said quietly.

"Hai, sensei," Tofu teased, "That's an excellent description, Ranma.  Is that how you plan on teaching Akane?"

"Yep, that's how I learned, both martial arts, and cooking," Ranma said with a wry grin.

"That's how I learned to cook as well, Akane," Kasumi said, "Mother started me off on simple things, and once I showed her I knew how to do them, she gave me more complicated dishes.  Each one built upon the next."

"You've got to crawl before you can walk, and you've got to walk before you can run.  Your problem with cooking is that you wanted to try to run first," Tofu said with a smile.

Dinner was soon over, and Ranma suggested, "If you two want to go clean up, I can show you the hot spring.  Tofu and I can get the dishes done while you're doing that."

"That's okay," Kasumi said, "It won't take but a minute to do the dishes.  Then we can all go soak in the springs, assuming there's some privacy."

"Well, I think there's actually two small pools, separated by some bushes.  That's what I remember, anyway," Ranma said, with some surprise, "But I do have a question.  Who are you and what did you do with the real Kasumi?  The one I knew wouldn't have suggested some of the things you've suggested tonight."

Kasumi giggled.  She leaned over and kissed Tofu, and then said, "I'm with the three people that I love the most.  I don't have to pretend to be the staid homemaker, anymore.  You and Tofu have given me that, Ranma.  So if I'm a little out of control right now, it's understandable.  I've repressed my real personality ever since Mother died."

Ranma looked at Akane.  She shrugged her shoulders, and said, "I like you like this, Sis.  You seem so much happier, almost giddy.  It's fun to watch.  Have you two set a date for your wedding?"

Tofu blushed.  Kasumi giggled again, and then said, "Actually, we already are married.  We went down to the courthouse yesterday and signed the papers.  We'll have a ceremony for the family later.  Aside from Father, you two are the first to know.  This trip is our honeymoon."

Akane gasped in surprise, and then hugged her sister.  "Sis, that's great.  We're honored that you're sharing your honeymoon with us."  She walked over to Tofu and kissed him soundly.  She then said to the still blushing Tofu, "Welcome to the family, brother.  You better take good care of my sister.  She's a pretty good martial artist, you know."

Ranma walked over to Kasumi and kissed her, and then hugged her.  He whispered softly, "Kasumi-chan, congratulations.  He's a good man, and I'm just a bit jealous of him."  Then he grinned widely, and said, "Doc, I second what Akane said.  You've got a princess here; take good care of my friend."

They gathered up spare clothing and towels and headed down the path to the hot springs, each couple walking hand in hand.  Sure enough, Ranma had remembered correctly.  There were two pools, with an embankment covered with bushes between them, screening the two pools from each other.  Kasumi pulled Tofu toward one of the pools, leaving Ranma and Akane staring at each other.  Ranma said, "I'll go back to the camp while you relax in here, Akane."  He turned to leave, but she refused to let go of his hand.

"Ranma, it's okay.  Kami-sami knows we've seen each other enough times in the past," Akane said.  She began to undress, Ranma's eyes widening in disbelief.

"Acchan, are you really sure about this?" Ranma asked.

Akane smiled gently, and said, "Ranchan, I know I'm being a bit forward, but I trust you.  We belong together, and after watching Tofu and Kasumi dance around with each other for so long, I don't want to make that mistake.  If it helps, turn your back and wait until I get in the water."

He promptly turned his back on her and closed his eyes and said, "Tell me when you get in the water, and then I'll join ya."  He waited and as he heard her enter the water, he began to take his clothes off.

She called, "Okay, Ranma, I'm in."  He finished undressing and entered the pool.  They sat there, both of them blushing.

"Akane, tomorrow we'll start seriously working on your ki attacks.  Tonight I want you ta sit back, close your eyes and relax," he said, "Try to empty your mind and just listen ta the sound of my voice.  Find your center of being, it should feel very warm.  Nod your head when ya find it."

After several seconds, Akane nodded her head.  "Okay, now push some of that warmth to your fingertips.  You will have to use the strongest emotion that you are feeling ta do that.  Once you've done that, picture a small, glowing ball resting in the palm of your hands," he said softly.  As he watched, looking at her hands, he saw two small glowing balls of blue light forming.  "Open your eyes," he said.  Akane opened her eyes and saw the two balls of light resting in her hands.  She stared in wonder at what she saw.  Ranma then said, "Let yourself absorb the ki.  Just relax your will."  She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and the balls of light vanished.  "Acchan, what were you feeling when you were sitting there?" Ranma asked.

"Peace, contentment, love, mostly.  Why?" Akane answered.

Ranma said, "I just hadn't seen that particular color before.  How do you feel?"

Akane thought for a second and then said, "I feel great, there's a feeling of warmth all over my body."  She waded over to Ranma and hugged him.  Feeling her body pressed up next to him sent strange sensations up and down his spine as well as other places too.

"Akane," he said, through a throat strangely tight, "If I ever say that your not sexy, knock me into next week."

Akane smiled wickedly, and then said, "You liked that, huh, Ranchan?"

"Yes!" he said.  He turned around and looked at her.  "Acchan, love," he groaned, "I'm not sure I can wait til we're out of high school."  He kissed her, and then resolutely, turned and waded out of the pool.  He grabbed his towel and clothing and left.  Akane slowly waded out of the pool, dried off and put her pajamas on.  She then headed back toward the campsite.  When she got there, she found that Ranma had transformed.  Ranma smiled sheepishly, and then said, "Sorry, Akane, for running off like that.  I suddenly needed a cold bath."

Akane walked over and hugged her.  "Thanks for the compliment, Ranma."  Then she entered the tent and rearranged the sleeping bags, changing them from two individual bags into one large bag.  She then crawled into one side of the sleeping bag.  Ranma watched from the tent flap, in some surprise.  "Ranchan, dry yourself off, and then get in here," Akane growled.  Ranma shook her head, and dried herself off.  She then stripped down to her boxers and undershirt and got in the sleeping bag.

 "Ranchan, I'm not sure I want to wait a lot longer, either.  But we need to, anyway, at least for a while longer," Akane said.  Akane then reached over and kissed her, hungrily.

"Acchan, this doesn't bother you?" Ranma asked, pointing at her chest.

"Ranchan, you're still the same person, no matter which form you're wearing.  I love you.  Once I figured that out, the curse didn't matter," Akane said.  Then she giggled and added, "Besides you look so-o-o cute like this."

Ranma whispered, "Thanks, Acchan.  You don't know how much that means to me hearing ya say that."  She yawned, and then rolled over on her side, facing away from Akane.  Then she felt Akane's arms wrap around her as she hugged her tight.  "Goodnight, my beautiful tomboy," Ranma sighed.

"Goodnight, love," Akane replied yawning.  They closed their eyes and soon were fast asleep.

The next morning, Akane woke up, feeling something tickling her face.  She was cuddled up against a warm body.  She slowly opened her eyes, and saw that Ranma's pigtail was in her face.  "Hey, sleepyhead," she whispered, "It's time to wake up."  Then struck by some mischievous impulse, she craned her head and kissed the back of Ranma's neck.  Ranma whimpered in her sleep, and then rolled over facing Akane.  Akane took that opportunity to kiss her nose.  Ranma sighed in contentment.

Ranma's eyes popped open.  As she registered where she was, she closed the remaining distance and kissed Akane passionately.  Akane pulled Ranma close to her and held her tight.  Akane's body started tingling where they touched.  Reluctantly, she pulled away.  "Morning, dear.  I could really get used to waking up beside ya, " Ranma said, "Waking up in your arms felt so good.  Are you always this playful in the morning?"  She slowly pulled herself out of Akane's embrace and began searching through her pack for her clothing.  She pulled out the things she wanted, and then took her undershirt off.  She put on her sports bra and slid a pair of shorts on over her boxers.  Then she turned to leave and saw Akane watching her with a puzzled look on her face.  Ranma smiled and explained, "When I show ya how ta do the ki attacks, I want Doc to watch the flows he sees in me and compare them to yours.  I suspect that they flow differently when I'm like this, so I'm gonna stay a girl for a while."

Akane's face cleared up and she said, "That makes a lot of sense."  She turned and began pulling her clothes out of her pack.  She quickly changed into a sports bra and shorts as well.  The two of them left the tent. 

When they got out of the tent, they saw Kasumi sitting under the dining fly, preparing breakfast.  They walked over to her, hand in hand.  As they neared her, they saw a very satisfied smile on Kasumi's face.  Akane hugged her sister and then kissed her on the cheek.  Ranma leaned in from the other side and kissed Kasumi on the other cheek.  "Sis, you're almost purring," Akane said, "Where's your husband?"

Kasumi laughed wickedly, and then said, "The poor dear is still asleep.  I must have worn him out last night."

Akane blushed and said, "Oh my, Kasumi, I can't believe you said that."  She started giggling.

Kasumi said, "You two looked pretty comfortable this morning when I peeked in your tent.

"Sis!" Akane exclaimed, blushing.

Ranma grabbed the teakettle and a couple of buckets, also blushing.  She ran down to the lake and filled them with water.  She came back and put them down on the ground next to the fire pit.  Then she started a small fire in the pit with some of the wood that she had gathered the night before.  After it was going good, she threw a few handfuls of chestnuts into the blaze.  "Akane, this is how Cologne showed me how to do the Kachu Tenshin Amagurikan.  The idea is to get all of the chestnuts out of the fire without the flames burning your hand.  Watch," she said.  Her hands blurring with their speed, she plucked all of the chestnuts out of the fire.  "Eventually, you'll be able ta do this, but after I spent a miserable week burning my hands, I figured out a slightly different approach," she said.  She showed Akane the two buckets.  In one of the buckets, Akane saw several minnows swimming around.  Then Ranma said, "The idea here is to get all of the minnows from this bucket to the other one, without getting your hands wet."

Akane spent the rest of the time until breakfast trying to transfer the fish.  Ranma watched her intently, encouraging her each time.  Kasumi called them to breakfast, and they began to eat.  "Akane, just practice that several times today and tomorrow.  It looks like you're starting to get it," Ranma said.

"Ranma, what's you plan for the day?" Tofu asked.

"Well, I wanna show Akane how to generate a ki attack.  I want ya ta watch me do it, and then watch Akane and compare how our ki flows.  I think that way we can correct anything that might be wrong," Ranma replied, "I also want her to practice the Kachu Tenshin Amagurikan that I showed her.  And I think the four of us ought to practice against each other some, as well.  According to Kasumi, we need to build your stamina up anyway."

"Ranma!" Akane said as she swatted him on the head.  Kasumi broke out giggling, as Tofu choked.

After cleaning up the breakfast dishes, the four of them gathered in a semi-circle.  "Akane, we're gonna do the same thing as we did last night.  Kasumi, you might want ta try this as well.  Close your eyes and relax.  Breath slowly and deeply.  Empty your mind and listen ta the sound of my voice.  Try to find your center, it should feel warm and be near your heart.  Once you've done that, push some of that warmth out to your fingertips.  It will take a strong emotion for it to move.  Once you've done that, picture a small ball of light resting in your hand," Ranma said.  Ranma looked at the two girls, and smiled.  There in both of their hands were two identical balls of glowing blue light.  Ranma's hand held a ball of white light. "Open your eyes, girls," Ranma said softly.  Kasumi gasped in surprise.  Akane wore a smile of pride.

"Ranma, I didn't sense much difference between how your ball formed and how theirs did," Tofu said, "However, your emotions were different.  I sensed pride in your ki, whereas I sensed love from the girls."

"It does take strong emotion for this to work.  I use pride as my emotion, that's why ya sensed it.  Other people use anger, or depression.  I think the more positive emotions are probably better ones ta use.  I'm glad the girls use love," Ranma replied. "Okay, the next thing ta do is to focus the ki, and have it fly out of your hand."  Ranma concentrated, and the ball of ki flew out of her hand and struck a tree trunk.  "Okay, Acchan, you try.  Focus on where you want the force ta go, and then concentrate on that," Ranma said.

Akane willed the ball to fly out of her hand.  Try as hard as she could, nothing happened.  Her frustration built, and she lost her concentration.  The ball vanished.  "That's all right, Acchan," Ranma said soothingly, "This will take a while."  Kasumi tried, but she had no better luck.  After letting them relax for a few minutes, they tried again.  This time at least, Akane was able to get the ball to move.  However, it only went a few feet before it vanished.  Kasumi couldn't even get that much accomplished.  After taking a short break, Kasumi tried again.  The ball flew about halfway toward the tree she was aiming at, and then with a pop it disappeared.  They spent the next several hours working on this one attack.  They tried one last time before it time to break for lunch.

Akane frowned in concentration, and then the ball shot out of her hand and hit the trunk.  Kasumi followed, and the same thing happened.  They did it several more times to make sure that the first wasn't a fluke.  Tofu just shook his head, and said, "It took me weeks to learn how to do that, Ranma.  You are a tribute to your sensei that you were able to show them how so easily."

"Actually, it's easier for a girl to learn this.  Besides, Akane was already using a ki attack.  That's what the mallet she occasionally uses is," Ranma said, "And I bet Kasumi taught that to her."

With Ranma watching carefully, and slowing her down when needed, Akane prepared the rice.  Kasumi prepared the miso soup, seasoning it carefully to taste.  Once everything was ready, Kasumi dished out the food and they began to eat it.  While the rice was a little bland, it was good.  Kasumi smiled at her sister, and said, "Just remember to take it slowly Akane.  The rice was fine, but you needed a little bit of salt in the water."  Akane smiled in thanks, and then hugged Ranma.

After the lunch dishes were cleaned up, after changing back, Ranma led the other three to the two trees that he had mentioned that had the carvings in them.  First he showed the tree with his parents initials carved into the tree.  Then he showed them the one he suspected had been carved by Soun.  Both girls wept upon seeing the heart with their parents' initials and the word forever.  Ranma took his knife and carved a heart in the tree with his parents' initials and then inscribed "Akane and Ranma" in the middle.  Kasumi stood there misty-eyed, sheltered in Tofu's arms.

Akane drew Ranma away from them and they walked back to camp, allowing the older couple their privacy.  Once they got to the camp, Akane went back to practicing with the minnows, while Ranma did some katas.  After a couple of hours, they started sparring together.  Ranma started smiling at Akane as he realized how much faster Akane had gotten with her punches.  Finally, both of them were sufficiently tired, that Ranma called a halt.  They both went and got cleaned up, and soaked for a while in the hot spring fed pool.  By the time they returned, Kasumi and Tofu had come back, and Kasumi was starting the dinner meal.  Kasumi had Akane cut up the vegetables that she was going to need, while Kasumi did the rest.  Ranma only had to caution Akane once about trying to go too fast.

After dinner, Tofu and Kasumi went off for another walk.  Ranma went down to the lake and changed back into a girl.  She came back and lounged by the fire.  Akane went into the tent and changed into her pajamas, and crawled into her sleeping bag.  Ranma joined her in the tent, and slipped out of her top and shorts.  She got into the sleeping bag, and kissed Akane on her cheek.  Akane hugged Ranma.

"Good night, Acchan," Ranma said as she closed her eyes.

Akane replied, "Good night, Ranchan."  Akane closed her eyes and the two of them drifted off to sleep.

+++++++++++++++++++++

Monday morning dawned brightly.  After having a quick breakfast, the two men began taking down the tents while the women cleaned up.  Soon, the four of them were heading down to the village.  After a stop at the local bathhouse, where the four of them washed up, they caught the next train to Nerima.  After finding their seats, the four of them talked about the trip.  "Acchan, Kasumi-chan, I'm proud of ya.  You picked up the Mouko Takabashi pretty well, but I need ta remind ya ta use positive emotions.  Ones like anger and depression can be pretty dangerous," Ranma said.

Tofu said, "I was also pretty impressed by you learning the Kachu Tenshin Amagurikan, Akane."

"Thanks, you two," Akane replied, "I'm glad we went.  I know I had a good time."

"I certainly enjoyed the trip," Kasumi said, "We need to do that more often."

"What are two planning on doing when we get home?" Akane asked.

Tofu smiled and then answered, "Your father invited me to move into the house.  We thought we would take him up on that.  It seems he didn't want to miss her cooking, and my apartment is pretty small after all, so I didn't mind.  Your family is pretty nice after all."


	24. Ukyo's Fiance

Chapter 24 Ukyo's Fianc

Ranma woke up early Tuesday morning and snuck quietly downstairs.  He knocked on Akane's door, and soon Akane came out.  They walked downstairs, and entered the kitchen.  He opened up one of Kasumi's cookbooks to the recipe that he wanted to prepare and quickly got the ingredients that he wanted out of the various cabinets and the refrigerator.  Akane began preparing the rice in the rice cooker, while Ranma began making the miso soup.  After tasting it, he added a bit of tofu for some additional flavor.  Akane filled the teakettle with water and placed it on the stove to heat the water for tea.

"Oh my," Kasumi said, as she entered the kitchen,  "I didn't expect breakfast to be cooking before I got down here."

Akane said, "Hey, why aren't you with your husband?"

"He's out jogging, he'll be back for breakfast," Kasumi answered.  She went and tasted everything, and then said, "You two did a good job with this.  It tastes pretty good."

"It should be ready soon, I think.  Could you set the table, Kasumi?" Ranma asked.

Kasumi smiled, and placed the dishes out on the table.  By that time, Nodoka and Gemna had come downstairs.  Soun was already sitting at the table, reading the paper.  Tofu came walking out from the bathroom as Nabiki slowly made her way downstairs.  She sleepily said, "Good morning, Doctor Tofu.  Morning, Father, Auntie, Mr. Saotome."

Ranma and Akane brought the food out and Kasumi began dishing it out.  "Hey, brother-in-law, could you hand me some sauce," Akane asked, her eyes dancing, remembering the scene from the night before.

Flashback

As they ate the dinner that Kasumi had prepared, Soun cleared his throat and said, "This is a wonderful dinner, Kasumi.  You outdid yourself, tonight!"

"Why thank you Father, but I didn't do it all.  Akane cooked the soup, and Ranma did the rice," Kasumi said, sweetly.

Soun cried, "My youngest daughter is finally learning to cook!"  The waterworks continued.

Akane just rolled her eyes at her father's overreaction.  Then she asked, "Hey, brother-in-law, could you pass me the sauce?"

Tofu smiled, from where he was sitting next to Kasumi, and said, "Sure, little sister."  Nabiki's eyes opened wide, Nodoka smiled and Gemna blinked.

"What do you mean by brother and sister, you two?" Nabiki asked.

Kasumi blushed prettily and said, "Tofu and I got married last week, and she's just greeting her new brother."

Nabiki squealed.  "Oh my!"

Ranma said, "That doesn't sound like the Ice Queen."  Akane giggled at the expression on her sister's face.

"Why did you two run off and get married so quickly?" Nodoka asked, her curiosity piqued.

Kasumi smiled mysteriously, but Nodoka seemed to understand what it meant.  "After waiting for as long as I did for him to get up enough courage to ask, did you really think I wanted to give him enough time to get cold feet, Auntie?  I wasn't about to run that risk," Kasumi replied, "As soon as Father gave us his blessing, we started making the arrangements.  This weekend just made a good excuse to go down to the courthouse and get married.  Don't worry though, I expect a formal wedding ceremony too."

End Flashback

"Hurry, you three, we're gonna be late ta school," Shampoo said.  They gulped their food down, grabbed their bags, and bentos and dashed off to school.  As they reached the gate to the schoolyard, they saw Kuno approach Ukyo.

Ukyo groaned as she saw Kuno.  She used to think it was funny when it had been Akane and Ranma who dealt with that jerk.  'Not again,' she thought to herself, 'Must be karmic justice.'

"Ah tis the beautiful Ukyo Kuonji, the bright star of the morning.  I, Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman, the Rising Star of Furinkan High, the undefeated champion, also known as the Blue Thunder," he began.  Thunder crashed in the background.  " I have wonderful news for my beloved.  I have located your father and informed him of your whereabouts.  I hope my service in reuniting you two loved ones will be appreciated," Kuno said, "He will be coming to see you next weekend."

"YOU MORON!!" Ukyo screamed, "I can't meet my father right now."  'Damn,' she thought as she ran off.  As she did, she caught sight of Nabiki, and went to talk to her.

Kuno stood there in shock, 'I thought she would be pleased with me.  Why would anyone not want to meet their father,' he thought, 'I know I would want to see my father – Oh wait a minute, no I wouldn't want to see my father, he was crazy.'  He paled at the thought of seeing the father who had deserted them after his mother's death.

"Hey, Nabiki, I need to talk," Ukyo said, "That idiot Kuno told my father where I am and he's coming here next weekend.  I swore to him that I would either kill Ranma and Gemna or marry Ranma.  I can't do either of those.  If he finds out I haven't done either, he'll probably carry out his promise to disown me.  What can I do?"

"Are you sure?  What would happen if you told him that you had fallen in love with someone else during your search for Ranma?" Nabiki asked.

"I don't know.  In, theory though, I'm supposed to kill them," Ukyo said, "I couldn't do that to Ranma.  Gemna on the other hand."  She grinned evilly.

"Well, why don't we get you engaged to someone else then," Nabiki asked.

Ukyo spluttered, and said, "Wait a minute, that's how I got in this mess in the first place!  Why would you want me to have another fiancé?"

Nabiki smiled and said, "No, I meant a pretend fiancé, not a real one."

"That still doesn't get me out of the problem of having to kill them," Ukyo countered.

Nabiki thought for a second and then grinned wickedly.  She snapped her fingers.  "What about if Ranma was a girl?  Surely your father would break the engagement if he discovered that he had mistakenly engaged his daughter to another girl, wouldn't he?" she asked.

"Yeah, that probably would work.  If we could show that it was just a big mistake, then he should be willing to come to some other sort of resolution.  Do you think Ranma would go along with it?" Ukyo asked.

"Leave Ranma to me," Nabiki said, "If he wants to get rid of the mess his bastard of a father got him into, then he'll do it.  Let's talk to him at lunch."

At lunch, Ranma and Akane were sitting in their favorite spot, with their arms around each other's waist.  Ranma was a little worried.  Ukyo had appeared a bit pale all morning and she had been looking strangely at him.  His suspicions were confirmed as he saw Ukyo headed his way with Nabiki in tow.  He thought he saw a look of anger in Nabiki's face as she realized how they were sitting, but it vanished so quickly, he wasn't sure of what he had seen.

Nabiki said as she neared, "Ranma, Akane, we have a big problem.  Kuno found Ukyo's father and told him where she was.  He's coming here next weekend expecting to find her.  She's afraid that if something isn't done about her situation, she'll be disowned.  We thought of a plan, but it'll need your help.  We need to find her a fiancé, and –"

"What!!" Ranma interrupted, "You want me to pretend to be her fiancé?  I'm still kinda new at this whole boyfriend/girlfriend business, but I don't think that's something I'm supposed ta do."

Akane chimed in, "MY boyfriend isn't going to pretend to be anyone's fiancé!

"No, I didn't mean that.  That wouldn't fix her problem anyway.  We'll get someone else to do that.  Maybe Kuno," Nabiki said.

"Ugh, anybody but Kuno.  I'd rather be disowned," Ukyo said with a shudder.

Nabiki giggled, and then said, "Just kidding about Kuno, Ukyo.  I wouldn't wish him on my worst enemy.  No, we'll find someone else.  What we need is for Gemna to have engaged his daughter to Mr. Kuonji's son Ukyo."

Akane started giggling as what Nabiki had suggested slowly registered in Ranma's brain.  "What!! You want me to be a girl while he's here!" Ranma said in shock, "Why will that help?"

"If we can get him to think that Gemna thought he was engaging his daughter to Kuonji's son, then we have a chance to resolve the agreement between the two fathers," Nabiki said with a smirk, "He won't want his daughter engaged to another girl, after all."

"You better make sure he doesn't have a son now," Akane growled, "I don't want this plan to blow up in our faces."

Ranma put his face in his hands and groaned, "Why me?  Pop, I'm gonna kill ya."  Finally he looked up and said, "Alright, Nabiki, I'll do it.  I figure I owe it ta Ucchan ta help her out.  You're gonna have ta get the rest of the families ta go along with it though.  And I ain't going ta school that week as a girl, that's for sure.  I'm gonna just be sick and stay home."

"I'll take care of them.  I think Tofu and Kasumi need to take Father on another trip.  They just don't know it yet.  That way it'll just be your parents that we'll have to convince to help," Nabiki replied.

That evening, Nabiki sought out Nodoka.  "Auntie, Ukyo has a problem and has asked for our help.  I think our families' honor demands that we do what we can.  Her father is coming here to visit her and she's afraid that if he doesn't see that she has fulfilled her promise about Ranma that he'll disown her," Nabiki said, "I sorta came up with a plan to help her, but we'll need your help."

"What kind of assistance do you need?" Nabiki asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Well, what if your husband thought he was engaging your daughter to Mr. Kuonji's son?  Wouldn't that give us a position to work from to straighten out that mess? Nabiki asked.

Nodoka stared at her in disbelief, and began to laugh a rich, deep, laugh.  "You want Ranma to pretend to our daughter for this visit?  Have you talked to him?" she asked.

"Yes, we talked about it at school today.  He wasn't real thrilled about it, but he finally agreed.  He did say that he wasn't going to school that week though," Nabiki said with a laugh.

Nodoka said, "This will make my husband look like a fool you know.  Of course, he basically is one anyway.  I'm not sure how honorable this pretense is though, Nabiki."

Nabiki frowned in concentration, knowing that she had to answer that concern carefully.  "In a sense, Ranma is your daughter, as well as your son.  You even sort of admitted that yourself.  So we're basically telling the truth to Mr. Kuonji, just not the whole truth.  You're husband wasn't acting particularly honorable when he agreed to an engagement with Mr. Kuonji or the parents of all of the other women.  This at least allows both families to get out of an awkward arrangement without losing face, doesn't it?" Nabiki replied, "You would still need to work something out about the dowry, though."

"I'll have to think about this.  If we do this, we'll have to carefully control who Mr. Kuonji sees," Nodoka replied.

"That's all I ask, Auntie Nodoka," Nabiki said, "I can't do this without your aid, but I don't want you to do anything that you would consider dishonorable.  The only thing that I will add is think about how much it will irritate your husband for Ranma to be a girl for a week."

Nabiki left as Nodoka broke down in laughter. 'That does almost make it worthwhile doing, just for that reason alone,' Nodoka thought.

A couple of days later, Nabiki called a meeting at Ucchan's.  Ranma, Akane and Nabiki got there first from school and Ukyo showed them upstairs.  Ukyo said, "While I really don't want to give up on Ranchan, I have to admit that Akane has the better claim."

Ranma noticed Nabiki narrowing her eyes in anger as Ukyo spoke.  Ukyo continued, with a sigh of regret, "The best thing for all of us is for my engagement to Ranchan to get cancelled.  I don't want to come between Akane and the man she loves."  She looked so sad saying that, that Akane felt sorry for her friend.

"Ukyo, while I will never regret falling in love with Ranchan, I wish it hadn't been at the cost of hurting you," Akane said.  Ranma saw Nabiki clench her teeth at hearing her sister say that.

Ukyo smiled wanly, and then hugged Akane.  "I'm not going to let some man get in the way of our friendship.  It's not your fault I fell for this baka, too," she said.

"Hey, I'm standing right here you two!  Do ya want me ta go downstairs so ya can pick on me some more," Ranma said with a laugh.

"No, it's much more fun when you're listening to us doing it!" Akane teased.  They heard the sound of people walking upstairs.  Shampoo led Ryoga and Nodoka into the room and shut the door.

Nabiki said, "Auntie Nodoka, thanks for agreeing to help us with this.  Ryoga, we need your help, too.  Ukyo's father is coming for a visit on Saturday and we need you to pretend to be her fiancé.  Are you willing to help?"

"Huh, Me?  Why'd you ask me?" Ryoga asked in shock, "I'm in love with Shampoo, remember."

Shampoo sighed, and said, "Ryoga, I'm not in love with you.  What's it gonna take for ya ta to realize that."

"How about it, Ryoga?  Please help us.  You already live here in the restaurant and we're at least comfortable with each other.  We've worked together long enough that we're friends," Ukyo pleaded.  Her eyes begged him to help.

'You know, she really is kinda cute," Ryoga thought, looking at Ukyo.  "Why can't Ranma do it?  He's supposed to be her fiancé anyway," he said.

"Because my daughter will be busy doing other things," Nodoka said.  Ryoga looked at Ranma in surprise and then grinned at the pained look on his face.

"Don't laugh, Ryoga.  Mom, your daughter is still gonna pretty much be a tomboy, ya know," Ranma said.

Nodoka said with a sigh, "Yes, I know dear.  I really, really know.  Since Soun, Kasumi and Tofu are leaving in the morning, I want you to go ahead and change now like we talked about.  You need to start practicing again."  Ranma sighed and took the bag she handed him.  He grumbled as he went into the bathroom to change.

"Ryoga, if ya help us, I'll go out on a date with ya," Shampoo said slowly.

"Shampoo, I know I'm going to regret being this noble, but you don't have to do that.  I'll help Ukyo because I like her, not for any other reason," Ryoga said finally.

Ranma stomped out of the bathroom wearing the too cute dress her mother had brought.  Akane gasped in surprise.  Ranma was wearing the faintest amount of makeup, and there were earrings on her ears.  "Mom," Ranma growled, "Didja have ta bring this dress?  Ya know how much I hate cute dresses!"

"You need to get used to wearing dresses and everything that goes with them.  How do the earrings feel?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma shrugged and said, "They pinch, what didja expect?  My ears aren't pierced after all.  I know the idea is to make it real clear that I'm a girl, but aren't we going a bit overboard?"

"Maybe a little," Nodoka admitted, "I don't expect you to dress like this all the time he's here, but I want you to make a good first impression."

"I know why I wearing this.  I'm not stupid.  I just want ta make it plain that I'm uncomfortable, and just a little embarrassed," Ranma said.

"But you look so-o cute like this, Ranchan," Akane said, giggling.  Ranma blushed in confusion as Akane walked over and put her arm around the waist of the smaller girl.

"I guess we're all done here," Nodoka said, "Give us a call when your father shows up, Ukyo."

Nabiki added, "You and Ryoga need to spend some time together until he gets here as well.  Talk to each other about your likes and dislikes.  Get to know each other some.  It'll make you look like you're a real couple."

Ranma and Akane waited until everyone had left except Ukyo.  They went over to her and just hugged her.  "Ucchan, I want ta apologize for what Pop has done ta ya.  If there's something we can do ta help make it up ta ya, let us know, okay?" Ranma said.

Ukyo just nodded, and kissed them both on the cheek.  "I will, Ranchan, don't worry.  I'm over the worst of it anyway.  After listening to Kuno for the last two weeks, I'm kind of sick of guys right now," Ukyo said.

"I think we can both relate to that, Ukyo," Akane replied.  The two of them left Ukyo's apartment and headed home.

Ranma halted for a second, and then asked, "Hey, Acchan, ya wanna stop for some ice cream before we go home?"

"Sure, Ranchan.  That sounds good," Akane replied.  They walked down to the ice cream parlor and ordered their treats.  Akane giggled at the way Ranma flirted with the counterman while he was taking their orders.

"Ranchan, you're shameless," Akane said as they sat down.

Ranma just smirked at her and replied, "Hey, I didn't see ya turning down the extra scoop, now did I?"  Ranma giggled at the expression on Akane's face, and then sobered.  "Acchan, we have a problem.  You still have someone who thinks she's a rival.  Nabiki is jealous of us.  I've caught her several times with odd expressions on her face, especially when you and I are together.  She's never said anything ta you about us, has she?" Ranma asked.

"She's never said anything to me, of course, not even when all of us were dating.  She has always been very private about her feelings.  She has seemed to be a lot cooler toward me than normal, though, so you're probably right.  I'll talk to Kasumi when she gets back," Akane replied, "She's not likely to give up on you, either.  Once she's set her sights on something, she generally doesn't quit."

Ranma frowned and then said, "She's gonna be disappointed this time.  We may need to make it clearer to everyone that I belong ta you."

"What do you mean by that?" Akane asked.

Ranma said, "I'll tell ya later.  I can't right now.  Once this week's over and done with, there's something I need to ask ya, is all."  Akane's eyes grew wide at that comment.  They finished their ice cream and went home.


	25. Ukyo's Father

Chapter 25 Ukyo's Father

Sunday afternoon rolled around, and Ukyo was in her restaurant, cooking on her grill.  Shampoo was in the kitchen in the back, cooking some ramen noodles and Ryoga was in the front, waiting on tables.  Ukyo kept half an eye on Ryoga, in case he got lost, but it seemed that as long as he could see the table numbers, he could get to where he needed to go.  The door opened and a tall man walked in.  Ukyo said, without taking her eyes off of the grill, "Hello, welcome to Ucchan's.  Go ahead and seat yourself, and someone will be right with you."

The man walked over and seated himself on one of the stools in front of the grill.  Ukyo looked up then and recognized her father.  "Hello, Father.  I'll be right with you once I get this order up," she said with a brilliant smile.

"Business first, pleasure second.  I see I taught you well," her father said with a chuckle as he watched her work.

Ukyo called, "Ryoga-chan, this is ready for table three."  Shampoo came out from the back with a plate of shrimp ramen and gave it to Ryoga.  He picked up the plate with the seafood okonomiyaki and carried them both over to the customers seated at table three.

"How's business, Ukyo?" her father asked.

"Pretty good.  My business partner picked a good location, and the delivery service we just started is profitable as well," Ukyo replied.  She came around the grill and bowed to her father.  As she straightened up, Ryoga came over to stand next to her.  Ukyo put her arm around his waist, and said, "Father, I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Ryoga Hibiki."

"Ukyo, daughter, what happened to Saotome?" he asked in response.

"That's a very long story.  I did find them both, but I already had feelings for Ryoga-chan by then.  I had met Ryoga on my travels.  And there was a bit of a complication," Ukyo said.

"What kind of complication?" her father asked.

"Well, it's hard to explain, but Ranma usually comes by in the afternoon and I think you'll figure it out then," Ryoga replied.

Kuonji asked, "Forgive my bad manners, Ryoga.  How long have you known my daughter?"

"Uh, as Ucchan said, we met as she was traveling.  We're both martial artists, so we joined up to keep each other company.  Once we reached here, and she started the restaurant, I stayed to help.  Things kinda progressed from there, until a few weeks ago, I asked her to marry me," Ryoga replied, as if he was reciting the lines.  Fortunately, Kuonji missed the intonation and just heard the words.

At that moment, two girls entered the restaurant.  "Hey Ucchan," the cuter of the two, a red-haired girl, said, "Can we get a couple of specials?"

"Sure, Ranchan.  First though, do you remember my father?" Ukyo said.

Ranma's eyes grew wide as if in thought, and then she bowed.  "Hello again, Mr. Kuonji.  Remember me, I'm Ranma Saotome, and this is my friend Akane Tendo," she said with a brilliant smile.

Mr. Kuonji frowned, and then said, "Ukyo, who is this person?  This can't be Ranma, she's a girl."

Ukyo replied, "That's the complication I was telling you about.  Imagine my surprise when I found out."

Ranma said frostily, "Mr. Kuonji, I assure you that I am the child that you met when I was six.  The one that played with Ucchan and you fed okonomiyaki.  I am the daughter and only child of Gemna and Nodoka Saotome."

"Then what happened to your hair?  The Ranma I recall did not have red hair," Kuonji responded.

Ukyo looked worried.  She thought, 'How did we miss something so obvious.  I didn't think he would remember that clearly, I guess.'

Ranma was trying to think up something to say, when Shampoo said from the kitchen door, "That's my fault, I guess.  Ranma's mother has pretty auburn hair.  Ranma looks a lot like her, so I talked my stepdaughter into trying that color.  I did a dye job and this bright red color was the result."

"I don't really mind anymore, stepmother.  The red hair is kinda striking, and I really don't mind being noticed," Ranma said with a laugh.  'Good save, Shampoo,' she thought.

"Here's your specials, Ranchan," Ukyo said as she slid the plates over to Ranma and Akane.

"Thanks, Ukyo," Akane said.  She and Ranma began eating their food.

"Mom wanted ta know if you were gonna be home for dinner, Shampoo?" Ranma called, "If ya are, could ya give her a call.  Mom wanted ta know if you and Ryoga were gonna join us after dinner tonight as well, Ucchan."

Ukyo frowned, unsure of where Ranma was going.  "We ought to visit with Father and let him get to know my Ryoga-chan," Ukyo said finally.

"Okay, I'll tell her that when we get home.  I'll let Pop know that you're in town as well, Mr. Kuonji.  If I remember correctly, you two were friends," Ranma said.

Kuonji asked, "How much do you remember of our meeting?"

"Well, it's been a long time, but Ucchan and I have done some reminiscing about the past.  I remember playing with this boy I called Ucchan.  We would spar, and he would try ta defend your yatai, and if I beat him, you would feed me.  I think I won most of the time.  I don't remember much else, myself, other than waving goodbye to him as Pop pulled your yatai away.  I was really sorry to see us leave; he was a real good friend.  It was a real surprise ta me when Ucchan showed up and turned out to be a girl.  Pop was so surprised he fainted.  The first time Pop saw Ucchan, we had ta take him ta the doctor.  Then when Ukyo told me that you and Pop had engaged us to be married, I nearly broke a rib laughing so hard.  I guess you thought I was a boy, and Pop thought Ukyo was one.  Of course, Pop is kinda stupid, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he didn't know.  He doesn't have a real high opinion of girls," Ranma said with a cute smile, "Pop must not have kept the yatai very long.  At least I don't remember it much beyond that."

"Where are your parents, Ranma?" Kuonji said.

Akane replied, "Ranma and his family live with us.  Our family and hers both study two branches of the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts.  Ranma and I are both teaching in my family dojo.  It's a way of joining the two families, I guess."

"Yeah, Pop and Mr. Tendo both trained under the same master.  They specialized in different styles, though, but they pledged before they got married, that one day they would get back together and merge the two styles.  I've taught Acchan what I know and she has taught me what she knows.  Together, we are combining the two styles into one style," Ranma continued

"Airen does want ta meet ya, Mr. Kuonji.  He feels badly about the whole situation that Ukyo and Ranma are in.  His wife Nodoka has a strong sense of honor, and she made it clear to Airen that he needed to make amends," Shampoo said.

"Perhaps we should visit with them, tonight, Ukyo.  I would like to meet my 'good friend' again, and talk about old times," Mr. Kuonji said, "I can visit with Ukyo and Ryoga this afternoon, and then for the remainder of my time here.  It would be good to get this issue resolved."

"Ya wanna come by after the dinner rush is over.  Mom can hold the dessert, though I might have ta tie Pop up," Ranma said with a smirk.

Ukyo thought for a while, and then replied, "Yeah, sugar.  We can close a little early.  I'll call when we start over there."

Ranma and Akane had finished their snack.  "I'll tell Mom you're coming, then."  Ranma steeled herself for what she was about to do next.  Akane had insisted that she had to pretend to be friends with Ryoga for this to work.  Ranma and Akane kissed Ryoga's cheek and hugged Ukyo.  Ryoga's eyes bugged out slightly.  Bye, Xian Pu, I'll tell Mom you'll be home as well, Ranma said in Chinese.

That would be fine, Step-daughter, Shampoo teased.  They waved bye and walked out the door.

"I see what you mean about a complication.  She seems like a nice enough girl.  Is she dating someone?" Kuonji asked.

Ukyo choked, and then answered, "Uh, yes as a matter of fact, she is going steady with someone.  I really like Ranchan and her mother.  Her father, now he's a different story."

Kuonji asked, "Are you happy, daughter?"

"Mostly, Father.  The restaurant and school kept me really busy.  Then being with Ryoga has been wonderful," Ukyo said, "I guess the only thing that kept me from being completely happy was missing you."

"Why didn't you come home when you found out about Ranma?" he asked.

Ukyo replied sadly, "You had made such a fuss about our honor and coming back with either Ranma as my husband, or with her dead, that I wasn't sure how you would react.  I'm glad you're here.  I needed to introduce you to Ryoga soon anyway.  We're not in big hurry to marry.  I still want to finish high school first."

Ryoga added, "We both need to save up enough money so she can go to college.  I know she plans on being a restaurant owner, but if we are to expand to more than one site, she needs some business classes."

"You don't plan on going to college, Ryoga?" Kuonji asked, with surprise.

Ryoga hung his head, and replied, "My education has been a bit spotty.  I spent most of my life wandering from place to place, so I didn't make it to class very often.  My sense of direction isn't the best so I sometimes get a little lost.  I can't rely on Ukyo getting me to class."

Ukyo kissed Ryoga, and then said, "Sugar, I don't mind doing that.  I think it's kind of cute actually."  Ryoga blushed in surprise.

Several more customers came in then.  Ryoga seated the two parties.  Ukyo said, "Sorry, Father.  Looks like our rush is starting.  Do you want to stay and talk some more, between customers, or just meet us back here around eight?"

He stood there in thought and then said, "If you want, I can help cook.  That way we can talk while we work."

Ukyo smiled, and said, "Okay, there's a spare apron in the back.  You can grab that.  Shampoo takes care of everything but the okonomiyaki."  Her father went into the kitchen, put the apron on, and came back out.  Ukyo showed him where the various toppings were, and made up some fresh batter.

"Table four wants two pork and one squid.  Table one wants seafood, and a pork ramen," Ryoga said, "I'll tell Shampoo about the ramen."  Ryoga walked to the back, and passed on the order to Shampoo.

Ukyo and her father poured out the batter for four okonomiyakis.  As they cooked, the two kept a companionable silence.  Soon the meals were ready.  "Ryoga-chan," Ukyo called, "These are ready."  They dished them out on four plates.  Ryoga went back into the kitchen, and brought out the ramen.  He came over and picked up the other plates.  Ryoga carefully walked over and delivered the meals.

Kuonji asked, "Ukyo, how well do you know the Tendos?  Akane seems to be very close to Ranma."

"Well, Nabiki Tendo, the middle daughter is my partner, she brings in the money.  Akane and I are in the same classes at school.  Ranma is her best friend.  Kasumi is the oldest daughter; she basically runs the household.  They are my friends.  Their father is on the town council," Ukyo said.

Ryoga came over and added, "Kasumi is a decent martial artist now.  She just got married to the local doctor, Tofu Ono, but he moved into the Tendo home as well.  It's a pretty nice house, with its own detached dojo where they teach.  Ranma and Akane do most of the training, though Mr. Saotome and Mr. Tendo help out occasionally."

Shampoo walked out of the kitchen.  "Airen mostly just sits around the house when he's not working, though.  He and Soun spend a lot of their spare time playing shogi and drinking sake," she said.

"You've called Mr. Saotome as Airen several times.  What does that mean?" Kuonji says.

Shampoo said, "I'm a Chinese Amazon.  He beat me in a challenge, so now by our traditions, he's supposed to be my husband.  We're still trying to work out what that means.  Of course, it helps that Nodoka and I like and respect each other."

"Oh, so that's why you called Ranma step-daughter, and she calls you step-mom," Kuonji said.

"Yes, we like ta tease each other that way," Shampoo replied, laughing, "Of course, my great-grandmother started it by calling her granddaughter."

+++++++++++++++++

Meanwhile at the Tendo home, Ranma and Akane were in Akane's room doing their schoolwork.  Akane had brought Ranma's work home with her.  "All of the senseis asked about you at school yesterday," Akane said, "The note from your mother apparently got them worried about how sick you are."

"Thanks for covering for me Acchan.  I really couldn't go ta class like this.  So far, we've managed ta keep my curse a secret.  I still can't believe no one has figured it out.  I guess we've just been lucky," Ranma said.  They sat there in silence for a while working on one of the problems.  "Ya know, the hardest part about all of this is not being able ta show how we feel about each other," Ranma said.

"Ranchan, you know I don't mind this body," Akane said, hugging her friend.

Ranma smiled, and said, "I know that, Acchan.  I just like kissing ya better when I'm a guy."  She leaned over and kissed Akane on the cheek.  Then she started giggling.

Akane looked quizzically at Ranma.

"I was just remembering the look on Ryoga's face when I kissed him on the cheek.  I thought his eyes were gonna fall out," Ranma said, still giggling.  Akane joined her.

"I thought it was because I kissed him," Akane said with a mock pout.

Ranma said teasingly, "Why'd ya think that?  I'm cuter than ya are, remember?"

Akane punched her lightly on the shoulder, knocking Ranma on the floor.  "Ouch, that hurt, tomboy," Ranma said laughing from the floor.

Akane collapsed in laughter, and said, "Oh the poor martial artist.  Did I hurt you poor baby?"

Ranma pouted up at her girlfriend from her position on the floor and batted her eyes playfully.  "No, us martial artists can withstand any pain," she said in her most pompous tone.

Akane stood up from her chair and helped Ranma up.  She hugged Ranma and then lightly kissed her.  They turned when they heard a slight gagging sound from behind them.  Nabiki said, acidly, "If this gets any more sugary, I think I'm going to get sick.  Anyway, they're here, so you two need to stop necking and come downstairs."  The two of them followed her downstairs and on into the living room.  There they saw Nodoka and Gemna sitting together talking to Mr. Kuonji, Ukyo and Ryoga.  Shampoo was coming in from the kitchen carrying a tray with a pot of tea and some cups.  Ranma hesitated in the doorway until Shampoo had set the tray down.  Shampoo then went to sit next to Gemna.

"Welcome to our home, Mr. Kuonji," Akane said as she sat down with Ranma,  "I'm sorry Father isn't here to greet you properly, but my sister and her new husband took him on a visit to see Tofu's mother.  He's only been gone a short while, but already Mr. Saotome is missing his shogi partner."

"Thank you for your welcome in his stead, Akane.  This is excellent tea, by the way.  It's from China, is it not?" Kuonji replied.

Shampoo answered, "Yeah, it is.  Nodoka and I like the more robust teas from there.  I'm glad ya like it."

"Ranma, your father has been telling me some about what you have been doing since we last met.  He tells me that you've learned from a lot of different senseis and that you've traveled around a lot," Kuonji said.

Ranma replied, "Yeah.  I'm glad we finally settled down, though.  Life on the road got kinda old there at the end.  And a girl really needs to be with her mother some, ya know.  I'm a bit of a tomboy, normally.  Mom's trying ta teach me better, but I'm sure I drive her crazy."  She giggled at the expression on her father's face.

Nodoka chuckled.  "Yes, you do dear.  You're getting better though.  I can actually get you to wear a dress occasionally, after all," she said.  Gemna eyed his wife nervously and saw that her hand was resting on the hilt of her katana.  He wisely said nothing.

Kuonji asked, "During your travels, did you ever go to China, or did you just stay in Japan?"

Ranma laughed and replied, "Of course we went to China.  That's where we met Shampoo after all.  We stayed in her village for about a month while I trained with one of the elders, Shampoo's great-grandmother as a matter of fact.  She taught me several different techniques, some of which she gave me permission ta teach ta others.  We also traveled around the countryside training at some of the training grounds and every dojo we could find."

Mr. Kuonji stood up with his teacup to get some more tea and tripped, pouring the contents onto Ranma.  Everyone gasped.  "Are you okay, Mr. Kuonji?" said Ranma in her soprano voice.  The rest of the groups eyes widened in surprise.

Kuonji said, "I'm fine.  I apologize for spilling my tea, Ranma."

"That's okay, I'll just go change into something else.  While I'm gone, why don't you serve dessert, Mom?" Ranma said as she stood up.  "Akane, I'm gonna need some clean clothes, could you bring me some down from my room?"  Ranma and Akane got up; Ranma went into the bathroom, while Akane went upstairs.

Nodoka said, "I'd like to serve the dessert in the dining area.  If everyone could go in there and find a place, I'll bring it in there.  Ukyo, dear, could you help me, please?"  Akane came back downstairs, and entered the bathroom, Nodoka and Ukyo went on into the kitchen, while everyone else went into the dining area and sat down.  Shortly, Nodoka and Ukyo came back out carrying some green tea ice cream.  Ranma and Akane joined them, Ranma now wearing one of her red Chinese shirts, and her black slacks, with her breasts bound up she looked very boyish.

"Pop, ya better have saved us some of the ice cream," Ranma warned as they sat down.  Nodoka smiled and handed the two girls their bowls.  Ranma smiled at Kuonji, and said, "I did warn ya, I'm a bit of a tomboy as ya can see."

"So I see.  It's hard to believe that you're the same girl that was here a few moments ago." Kuonji said in surprise.

Ranma giggled, looking quite pretty and said, "Poor Pop, he always wanted a boy, so he did his best to turn me into a man among men.  I never wore a dress until I came to live with the girls.  He still hates it when I act too much like a girl.  Anyway, now you see why Ukyo thought I was a boy when we met again here in Nerima.  Of course, she was dressed as a guy as well.  We both fought each other, thinking the other one was a guy.  Like I told ya this afternoon, it sure was a surprise ta me ta find out different.  Then when I showed Ucchan that I was one as well, she darn near fainted.  We had a pretty good laugh at each other that day, didn't we Ucchan?"

"We sure did, Ranchan.  Then the girls here sort of adopted me, and the five of us became pretty good friends.  Ranma and I slowly regained the friendship that we had had when we were kids," Ukyo replied.

Kuonji smiled thinly, and said, "Ukyo, dear, I think it's time for us to leave.  I've enjoyed the conversation, but I had a long day of travel, and I find that I am a bit tired."

"Certainly, Father," Ukyo said.

"I want to thank you for your hospitality, Akane and Nabiki.  Saotome, we will talk again about our arrangement.  It seems that we do have a complication in completing it.  Perhaps, sometime later this week we can talk.  I do need to get more familiar with my potential son-in-law, Ryoga, after all," Kuonji said.  They all stood up and headed for the front door.

Nodoka said, "I've enjoyed this as well, Mr. Kuonji.  Please call on us soon."  As they watched the Kuonji party leave through the front gate, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.  They headed back towards the living room, where several people tried to talk at once and ask a question of Ranma.

She shook her head in disgust, and said, "Please, just one of ya."

Gemna asked, "How come ya didn't change, boy?"

"Mom suggested that this might happen.  We talked to a person we know who had something called waterproof soap.  It wears off after a few wettings, but it works for a while," Ranma said, with a smirk.

"We have a limited supply, Gemna, so don't get any ideas," Nodoka warned.  Gemna growled at his wife.

Akane and Ranma gathered up the dishes and carried them into the kitchen.  Nodoka followed them as they washed them.  "That went reasonably well, I suppose.  One more bit of good news is that Ukyo told me that she was taking the week off from school to visit with her father, and show him around Tokyo.  It seems that he's never been here.  That way we can keep him from running into anyone who knows you."

"That will help, I suppose," Akane said, "Come on Ranma, it's time for bed."

Ranma told his mother, "Goodnight, Mom."  She kissed her mother on the cheek and followed Akane upstairs.  She then went on up to her room in the attic.  She undressed and put on a pair of pajamas.  As she got in her bed, she heard a knock on her door.  Ranma called, "Come in."

Akane opened the door, and walked in.  "Before you ask, Ranchan, I missed waking up with you.  I told Auntie Nodoka that I was going to be in here.  Now move over and give me some room," she said, with a pleading look in her eyes.

Ranma shook her head in surprise at how bold Akane was, and then smiled.  "Okay, Acchan, I missed that too, ya know," she said as she scooted over.  Akane climbed into the futon and kissed Ranma.  Ranma rolled over onto her side to give Akane a bit more space.  She melted inside as she felt Akane's arms wrap around her.  "Goodnight, love," Ranma whispered as she closed her eyes.  Her only response was the even sound of Akane breathing.

Author's Note:  Thanks for all of the reviews.  Hopefully, you the readers are enjoying this story.  


	26. A Day in the Park

Chapter 26 A Day in the Park

That night, as they left the Tendo home to walk home to her restaurant, Ukyo held Ryoga's hand tightly.  "Do you see why I like them so much, Father?  I wish you had been able to meet Kasumi.  Those three girls are all so friendly towards me.  Nabiki is usually pretty nice as well, though she hides it a bit.  They treat me like I'm one of them.  Ranma's mother is so nice as well; she treats me as if I was one of her nieces.  We all call her Auntie Nodoka," Ukyo said.

"Yes, they seem to be a very nice group of people.  I'm glad you were able to make some friends here.  My only wish was for you to find happiness.  It sounds like between your restaurant, your friends, and, of course, Ryoga here, that you have," her father replied with a kind smile, "How about you, Ryoga?  What do you think about them?"

Ryoga thought for a second or two, trying to ignore the warning squeeze from Ukyo's hand.  He answered finally, "Even though I met the Tendos under extremely awkward circumstances, I've come to like them.  And after Ranma asked them to forgive me for almost hurting Akane by accident, I realized that Ranma isn't too bad.  The two of us had some issues to work out.  We all get along pretty well, now.  I'd say that we're all friends."

As they entered the restaurant, Ukyo walked with Ryoga toward the kitchen, and the back room where he slept.  Ukyo stopped him at the door to the kitchen, and pulled Ryoga into a tight embrace.  She whispered, "Thanks, sugar, for everything."  Then she kissed him soundly.  Ryoga blushed, and tried to keep his nose from bleeding from the feel of her body touching his.  Then she said, "Sleep tight, dear.  I'll see you in the morning."  Greatly daring, he kissed her, not believing that he actually had the courage to do it.  Then Ukyo watched as he walked over to his room.  She turned to go upstairs, and saw her father watching her with an oddly pleased look on his face. "Oh my, did I forget to tell you that he lives here with me.  With his poor sense of direction, it only made sense, especially since I had the extra space," she said with a little laugh.  She walked upstairs, followed by her father.  Once she reached her living room, she pulled out the blankets for the futon that she had set up in there.

"Ryoga is a very nice boy, Ukyo.  I approve of him.  He seems to be devoted to you as well.  He could hardly keep his eyes off of you tonight," Kuonji said, "You make a very nice couple."

Ukyo blushed prettily and said, "Why thank you Father.  I'm glad you approve of him.  I rather fancy him, myself."  She giggled slightly.

Kuonji asked, "When were you thinking of getting married?"

"I'd like to graduate from high school, maybe start college, first.  We haven't talked much beyond that," Ukyo replied.

"Could you tell me more about Ranma?  We do have that agreement between Saotome and myself to do something with, after all.  While obviously, she can't marry you, and there are no unattached brothers, you do have a few cousins that we could put forward," her father asked.

"Father, my understanding is that the agreement named both myself and Ranma!  Besides Ranma is madly in love with someone, and her parents both approve of the match.  They're just waiting until Ranchan gets a bit older.  I doubt they would be interested in getting in the way of true love.  In fact, I know that Auntie Nodoka would definitely be against breaking them up," Ukyo said forcefully, "For that matter, I would be opposed to Ranma being engaged to any of my cousins, as well."

"I had to ask, Ukyo," He said, gently, "We still have to resolve the issue with our honor intact, after all."

Ukyo smiled and replied, "I'm aware of that.  The Saotomes are also anxious to do the right thing as well.  Father, I'm afraid I'm keeping you up.  I know I'm tired.  I'll talk to you some more about this tomorrow."  She hugged her father.

"Goodnight, Ukyo.  I'm proud of what you've accomplished here.  See you tomorrow," her father replied.  Ukyo disappeared through the door into her bedroom.  Her father changed clothing, and went to bed.

Ukyo was pleasantly surprised with how well her day was going.  She had suggested that the three of them go on a picnic in the park for lunch.  The day was pleasant, a few cotton candy clouds in the brilliant blue sky.  She had walked hand in hand with Ryoga over to a spot overlooking the bright, blue waters of the small lake.  Once there, she had served the meal that she had prepared.  Then she and Ryoga sat together, occasionally holding hands while they ate and talked with her father.  The sounds of birds calling, and the occasional splash of a fish jumping, added a nice counterpoint to the day.

"Ryoga, I told my daughter last night that I heartily approve of the match between you.  Even though you are a bit young still, I sense a very big heart in you.  The two of you make a very attractive couple.  I give you two my blessing.  Just don't make me wait too long before you get wed.  I would like to see some grandchildren while I'm still young enough to enjoy them," Kuonji said with a gentle smile.

Ryoga froze, his mind racing in panic, 'what do I say, marriage, grandchildren!!  I'm too young for this.'  Finally he stammered, "Thank you, sir.  Er, um, we're in no real big hurry, I'm afraid.  Uh, we're both a bit young for that right now.  Ucchan needs to get through school first, at least."  He gazed adoringly at his supposed fiancée, thinking to himself. 'She really is so cute.  She's actually prettier than Shampoo.  She cares for me as a person.  Arrgh, what am I thinking.  I love Shampoo, don't I?'  He reached over and clasped Ukyo's hand again, and squeezed it affectionately.

'What's he doing?' Ukyo thought, her heart racing.  She blushed when she discovered what else she was thinking  'Steady girl, don't lose your cool.  You don't need to start a new relationship.  You barely got over Ranma and already you're lusting after Ryoga.  I mean, sure he's a good-looking, well built hunk, and nice to you.'  She said teasingly, "Oh, I don't know sugar.  If we got married sooner, I could save paying you that huge salary you earn.  Just think of how much money we'd save doing that."

Ryoga choked, and then realized she was kidding.  He bantered back, "Hey, you're not paying me that much, anyway.  It's a good thing I'm working there for something other than the money."

"Must be the company you keep during the day," she teased back.

Kuonji chuckled at the two of them.  "You two already sound like you're married," he said, "This has been a pleasant day.  When do you need to get back to the restaurant?"

Ryoga replied, "Actually, just before we left, Shampoo told us to stay away all day.  She wants us to have a day for ourselves and to forget about coming to work.  She can handle the cooking, and she said something about a friend coming over to wait on the tables.  We'll just drop all of this stuff at the restaurant and then go wander around sightseeing.  At least that was her suggestion."

"Then, why don't we take her up on that offer," Kuonji said.  They gathered up their picnic gear and headed back to the restaurant.

That evening as they wandered back from Tokyo Tower, they found a small restaurant to eat dinner.  After ordering, Kuonji asked, "Ryoga, can you tell me a bit more about yourself?  I'd like to know the man who is engaged to my daughter better."

Ryoga blushed in embarrassment, not really one to talk about himself.  "Er, well, there's nothing much to tell, that I haven't already told you about.  Like I said before, I'm a pretty good martial artist.  I'm pretty strong, physically.  I think I'm honorable.  I've traveled around much of my life.  I think I mentioned my poor sense of direction.  My folks have a house here in Tokyo, but I rarely am there.  My father also travels around a great deal, mostly on business, so I don't see him often.  That's pretty much my life in a nutshell.  The time I've been here is pretty much the longest I've stayed in one place.  But then, I think your daughter is a pretty good reason to stay."

"Do you have any plans for the future?" Kuonji asked.

Ryoga thought for a while, and then said, a bit depressed, "Actually, beyond helping Ucchan in the restaurant, I hadn't thought a lot about the future.  Even though I'm pretty well read and speak a bunch of different languages fluently, I've never stayed in school long enough to amount to much.  I'd be surprised if I can get into college with my record.  Unless I can find a job teaching martial arts, I don't know what else I'm qualified for.  That doesn't sound like I'm good for much."

"That's not true, sugar.  I think you're very special," Ukyo said, sympathetically.  She put her hand on his arm and squeezed it in affection.  "We never have talked about that much, have we?  We just talked about me going on to college.  We need to work that out.  We should get you into college after you turn eighteen."

Kuonji frowned, and said, "I'm sorry, Ryoga.  I didn't know that was such a sore spot with you.  You strike me as a young man with a great deal of potential.  If there is something my clan can do for you, just let me know."

"Thank you, sir.  I appreciate the offer, I truly do," Ryoga said with feeling.

On that note, they finished their dinner and left for Ucchan's.  Ryoga looked nervously at the sky, eyeing the clouds.  "Uh, looks like we might get some rain, and I forgot an umbrella.  We better hurry and get home before it starts pouring," he said.  He caught Ukyo's hand and whispered into her ear, "Ukyo, I have a curse, like Ranma.  I'm going to lag behind."  He let Ukyo catch up to her father.

As they headed toward the restaurant, Ryoga deliberately fell a few steps behind, allowing Ukyo and her father to walk in front of him.  It was a fortunate decision, as he felt the first several raindrops.  Soon enough water had hit him, that it triggered the change.

Ukyo was talking to her father as they walked.  They had just turned the corner onto the street leading to her restaurant when she felt the first raindrops fall.  She heard a faint "Bwee" from behind her and casually looked over her shoulder.  She saw a small, black pig, with a yellow bandanna around its neck, following some distance behind her.  She mouthed, "Ryoga?"  The pig nodded.  After a few minutes, she turned and said, "Hey, Ryoga sugar," then she stopped and said, "Oh my, it looks like Ryoga wandered off."

"What do you mean he wandered off," her father asked.

Ukyo hesitated as if reluctant to spill a secret.  "Well, Father, remember Ryoga saying that he has a bad sense of direction.  Well, it's a bit worse than that.  One of the reasons that Ryoga has traveled for so much of his life is that he has no sense of direction.  He constantly gets lost if I'm not watching.  In fact, I remember him telling me of a man-to-man fight that he was supposed to fight with his best friend from junior high.  It was in the vacant lot just behind his house and it took him three days to make it there.  He showed up on the fourth day, and by that time, his opponent was long gone," she said.

As they reached the restaurant, Ukyo turned and squealed with delight.  She thought quickly, 'What kind of sickly cute name would a girl name a pig, well, duh, of course,' she thought.  She said, "P-chan, where have you been, you naughty pig?  She picked up that small, wet pig and cradled it in her arms.  "Father, I'd like you to meet P-chan, my pet pig.  He's very intelligent, but he wanders off all of the time.  He always finds his way back, though.  Isn't he adorable?" she enthused as she hugged the pig tightly to her chest.

"Uh, yes, I'm sure, Ukyo," Kuonji said, a little uncertain. 'Why does that pig have a nose bleed,' he wondered as he followed his daughter into the restaurant.  "Do you need to go looking for Ryoga?" he asked.

Ukyo set the pig done and said, "I may go out in a bit if it stops raining, but I'm not worried.  Ryoga will be here in the morning, I can almost bet on that.  He's done this before, and always turns up.  Even though he gets lost easily, he can always seem to find this place."

"Well, you know your fiancé best, I suppose.  He's a big, strong martial artist, so I expect he can take care of himself, after all," he said with a sigh.  P-chan scampered off into the kitchen.

"Why don't you go upstairs, Father?  I need to make sure P-chan has some water, and then I'll be right up.  There's some sake in the cabinet in the living room, if you want any," Ukyo said.  Her father nodded and walked upstairs.  She went into the kitchen and put a small kettle of water on one of the burners.  "Can you take care of this P-chan?" she said.  She wasn't surprised to see him nod.  "Don't come up right away and make sure you close the back door, loudly.  That way Father will think you came in."  She quietly opened the back door and ran back down the street and grabbed Ryoga's clothing.  She quickly ran back, and entered the open door.  She dropped the clothing onto the floor next to P-chan and quickly ran upstairs.  She grabbed a towel from the bathroom and began drying her wet hair.  Her father was sitting on the sofa, drinking sake.  He had changed out of his damp clothing.  A second saucer was on the table next to the bottle.  "Thanks, Father.  I'm going to get out of these damp clothes first, then I'll come join you," she said as she entered her bedroom.

A few minutes later, Ukyo came back out, dressed in her pajamas, with a robe over them.  She sat down next to her father, and joined him in a nightcap.  "Ukyo, what do you think we should do about the engagement?  It is really your honor that is at stake, after all.  I recovered the yatai some time ago, after you left on your search, so your dowry is intact.  It was mostly symbolic of the agreement, after all.  The insult was Gemna Saotome leaving you behind in the dirt, leaving you to the ridicule of your friends in the village."

"I imagine knowing Auntie Nodoka that she will provide sufficient punishment for all of Saotome's actions.  I doubt his death will be sufficient for her, so there's something else she is planning.  If you talk to Nabiki, I'm sure she will help negotiate something that satisfies both Auntie's sense of honor as well as mine.  I will want to at least know what she plans, if not help.  Ranchan was innocent, she doesn't need to be hurt, no matter what happens to her father," Ukyo said, finally, "And I also want Ranchan to remain my friend, so her honor can't be damaged.  She feels very strongly about her honor."

Kuonji replied, "Well said, daughter.  That seems like a good place to end up.  If that satisfies your honor, then I will state that your oath has been kept."

They heard the sound of a door shut.  Shortly, Ryoga poked his head into the room, and said, "Sorry I got lost, you two.  You turned a corner, and suddenly vanished.  Oh, listen, Ukyo, P-chan escaped out the door again.  Sorry about that.  You know him though, I'm sure he'll wander back."

"That's all right, Ryoga.  I just glad you made it back.  That storm sounds like it's getting worse.  You're right about P-chan.  He'll be back, I'm sure," Ukyo said.  She stood up and walked over to Ryoga.  She held him in her arms, and said, "I was worried about you, baka.  Don't run off like that again."  She kissed him, passionately.  

He blushed, thinking, 'What's going on with her?  Does she really mean that?'

"I'm sorry, dear.  Mr. Kuonji, I had a wonderful time with you today and at dinner.  Thank you.  Ucchan, could you join me for a second downstairs?" Ryoga asked.

She nodded and followed him downstairs.  As they went into the kitchen, Ryoga turned to Ukyo and said, "Thanks, Ukyo.  No one except my parents has ever cared like that for me before.  I just had to tell you that."  He steeled himself, and then held out his arms.  She came to him and allowed him to hug her.

"Ryoga, you're a really nice guy.  I'm glad you're my friend," she said softly.  Then she kissed him again.  'I guess that sake must have hit me harder than I realized,' she thought with a mental giggle.  "Goodnight," she said to the extremely confused Ryoga.  Ukyo went upstairs.  "Goodnight, Father," she called as she entered her bedroom.

Later, before she went to sleep, Ukyo pulled out her diary and began to write.  She wrote:

What a wonderful day.  Ryoga was such a gentleman, so attentive.  He's so cute; even those little fangs of his.  Father seems to like him.  He's happy that I'm engaged to Ryoga.  When we talked about our life together, I felt so warm and happy inside.

Then we kissed, in front of Father.  And then again when I kissed him goodnight.  I felt something tingle.  Does that mean I'm actually falling for him?  But what does he feel for me?"

She closed her diary and hid it away.  She finished her saucer of sake and turned her lights out, and went to sleep.


	27. The Return of Pchan

Chapter 27 The Return of P-chan

The next morning, Ukyo staggered from her bedroom, and into her bathroom.  She stared with bloodshot eyes at the image in the mirror, seeing her hair all askew, her head pounding from her hangover.  She swore to herself thinking, 'I'll never drink again since I obviously can't handle it.'  After taking several aspirins for the headache, and splashing her face with cold water, she began the slow process of turning back into a functioning human being, serenaded by the sound of her father's snoring.  She finally got her hair under control and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.  There she began preparing breakfast for the three of them.

She was standing at the sink filling the teakettle with water when she heard a noise behind her, startling her.  She whirled, teakettle in her hand, her other hand over her mouth attempting to stifle a scream.  As she turned the water sloshed out, pouring all over a surprised Ryoga, instantly turning him into a pig.  Ryoga looked up at her with big, sad eyes, and went "Bwee."

"I'm sorry, Ryoga.  You startled me.  I'll get some water going for you," Ukyo said, stifling a laugh.  She refilled the kettle and put it on the stove.  Then she heard the sounds of her father's footsteps coming down the stairs.  Her eyes grew large.  She grabbed the discarded clothing and tossed it quickly into Ryoga's room.  "You just stay right there, P-chan," Ukyo said.  She filled a small bowl with water, and placed it on the floor by the back door.

Her father came into the kitchen and hugged his daughter.  "Hello, P-chan," he said.  Ryoga nodded his head, causing Kuonji to laugh.  "That's one smart pig.  Can I help with anything, maybe pull Ryoga out of bed?" he asked.

"Oh, Ryoga went out somewhere, I guess.  He was gone when I came into the kitchen.  There's some fish in the refrigerator, and I was going to make miso soup.  I've got the kettle on for tea.  Is there anything else you'd like?" Ukyo asked.  P-chan came over and nuzzled Ukyo's leg.  She reached down and picked him up.  "What do you need, P-chan?" she asked.

He squirmed in her arms, going "Bwee, bwee!!"

"Actually, I think I would like to make some okonomiyaki, as well," her father replied.  He quickly made up some batter, and went into the other room to start the grill.  Ukyo grabbed the kettle, and ran into Ryoga's room and poured the warm water on P-chan.  She ran back into the kitchen, and put the kettle back onto the stove, blushing at what she had seen.

A few minutes later, Ryoga came out dressed in his clothing.  He opened the back door and then closed it.  He said, "Good morning, Ucchan."

She turned and kissed him, and said quietly, "I'm sorry about this morning, Ryoga."

He shrugged and said, "It's not your fault, Ucchan.  I'm a water magnet; you know that.  Any time there's cold water around, I'm going to attract it."

Ukyo started fixing the miso soup.  Ryoga went and got three fish out of the refrigerator and took them into the other room to cook on the grill.  He said, "Good morning, sir.  Do you want to cook these?"

"Good morning, Ryoga.  Sure, just put them on the grill.  Where'd you run off to this morning?  Ukyo said you were gone when she came downstairs," Kuonji said.

Ryoga blushed and said, "I got lost heading for the downstairs bathroom.  I opened the back door and walked out.  Before I knew it, I was somewhere else.  Fortunately, it didn't take me too long to make my way back."

"Do you have any idea why you have such a lousy sense of direction," Kuonji asked politely.

Ryoga pondered the question for a while, and said, "Well, I think it is some sort of curse.  I first noticed getting lost when I turned nine.  My father said that it was hereditary, and always started around then.  I guess he had hoped that I wouldn't get it."

"You know, what you ought to get is a cell phone and a global positioning system.  That way, you'll know where you are, and can call for directions," Kuonji said.

"It's worth a try I suppose.  But I have a hard time following directions, too.  Someone will tell me to go left, and I end up going right.  If it was happening to some one else, it would be funny," Ryoga said.

Kuonji smiled, and said, "Well, at least you seem to have a sense of humor."

"Well, it's either laugh about it, or cry about it, and it takes less energy to laugh," Ryoga said, with a wry grin, "It can still get pretty depressing, wandering around getting lost like I do.  On the other hand, I've been to a lot of interesting places and learned a lot, so maybe it balances out.  The one thing that I've noticed about it is I can always find my way back to someplace I really want to find.  It may take me a while, but I eventually get there."

"Everything is ready in here, Ukyo," Kuonji called out.  Ukyo came out of the kitchen, carrying the bowls of soup and the tea.  They settled down around one of the tables and began eating.

Ukyo said, "Father, I was thinking we could have another picnic this afternoon, or is there some more sightseeing you'd like to do?"

"Actually, I'd like to do a little shopping, take you two out to lunch, and then visit our offices here.  I bet you didn't know that we had an office here, did you?" Kuonji replied.

"No, Father, I didn't.  Why would a wandering okonomiyaki chef have offices," Ukyo asked, puzzled.

Kuonji smiled.  Then he answered, "I've been the head of a restaurant chain for couple of years, the family business as a matter of fact.  Your grandfather passed away while you were gone, and I inherited it.  Your brothers aren't interested in the business, so it will be yours one day, daughter.  Yours and your husband's that is."

Ukyo stammered, "But I don't know anything about running a business."

"Uh, dear, what do you call this?" Ryoga said, waving his arm around, pointing at the restaurant.

Mid morning found them wandering around the electronic boutique area of Tokyo.  Kuonji found Ryoga an international cell phone and a small portable GPS with a good map program.  After he had bought them, he gave them to Ryoga.  Kuonji said, "Consider this a small present for the care you have shown for my daughter.  Since I can't be with her, it's good to see that she has a friend like you around."

"Father, I can take of myself, you know.  I'll admit that it's nice to have him around the restaurant, but I did spend several years on the road by myself, remember," Ukyo said, half in complaint.

Kuonji chuckled, and said, "I haven't forgotten, daughter.  No matter how old you get, or how good you are as a martial artist, I'll still always think of you as my baby girl.  That's how fathers are.  It's still a father's wish for their daughters to have a knight in shining armor to protect them."

"I'll do my best," Ryoga said, "Or at least I'll try.  If she doesn't want protecting, there's not much I can do.  She is a bit stubborn, in case you've forgotten."  He chuckled at the expression on Ukyo's face.

"Let's see if we can find a café to eat at," Kuonji suggested, "My office isn't far from here, if I remember the map correctly."

After finishing their lunch, they headed toward the building that housed the local offices of Mr. Kuonji's company.  Ryoga excused himself from their company, saying he wanted to try out his new toys.  "I'll meet you back home, Ucchan," he said as he kissed her, "You have a good time with your father, dear."  He bowed to Kuonji and started off.  Ukyo stared at the sky and realized why Ryoga had decided to leave.  The rain clouds were beginning to roll back in.  She hoped he would make it under cover before the rain started.

Kuonji and Ukyo entered the building and found the directory.  It showed that his offices were only one floor higher, so they walked up the stairs and down the hallway to the office.  They opened the door of the Kuonji Holding Company office, and walked in.  There they saw a small, wood paneled anteroom, with a receptionist sitting at a small desk, cantilevered across one corner.  The young lady arose when they entered and bowed.  "Welcome to the Tokyo offices of the Kuonji Holding Company.  How may I assist you?"

Kuonji said, "I am Mr. Kuonji, and this is my daughter Ukyo.  I believe Mr. Higurashi is expecting me."

"Yes, he said to show you right in, sir.  May I say that it is an honor to meet the chairman of our company?" the receptionist said, as she led them to a door leading to an inner office.  She knocked once on the door, and then opened it in response to a voice from inside.  She said, "Sir, Mr. Kuonji is here, with his daughter."  She stepped out of the way to allow them to enter.  "Would either of you like some tea?" she asked politely as they went by her.  Mr. Kuonji nodded in response.

As they entered the large office, they saw an elderly man rising from the chair behind his oversized mahogany desk.  On his desk, partially turned to the side, were several photographs.  One of them showed an attractive young girl, dressed in a school uniform, a white blouse and a short green skirt.

On one side of the office was an arrangement of comfortable looking chairs and couches, partially screened from view.  The man bowed to the two of them.  Mr. Kuonji returned the bow.  "Hello, sir, and welcome to the local office.  I am Higurashi, the manager of this district.  It is indeed a pleasure to meet you finally.  Please, would you like to sit down over here," he said, pointing to the small alcove.  They followed him over, and sat down.  Gazing around, Ukyo saw several plaques hanging on the wall.  Looking at the one nearest to her, she saw that it was an award for excellence in cooking.

They traded small talk for a few minutes while the receptionist brought the tea in.  However, once she had poured the tea, and left, closing the door behind her, Kuonji's gentle mask fell away.  "Higurashi, you have been with this company for a long time.  My grandfather trusted you, in fact, considered you a friend.  I also trust you.  However, profits from the restaurants in the Nerima area have fallen.  Do you have an explanation?"

"Sir, we were doing quite well, at least until recently.  Two young women opened up a café down in Nerima district.  Apparently, they are both quite attractive, and that draws in a good crowd.  They serve a very good selection of food, mostly okonomiyaki, and ramen dishes.  We've sent people in to investigate, but everyone is afraid to talk to them.  It seems that one of the partners is a Nabiki Tendo, and no one wants to cross her," Higurashi stammered.

Kuonji stared in disbelief and then began to chuckle as he heard the explanation.  "Daughter, it appears that I underestimated you.  Higurashi, may I introduce you to my daughter, Ukyo.  She is one of those attractive young women giving you such a hard time.  In that case, the drop in profit is understandable."

"Thank you, sir," Higurashi said.  He turned to Ukyo and said, "Young lady, I'm honored to have met you.  You are indeed as they reported."

Ukyo blushed, and then said, "Thank you, sir."

"I wanted to bring my daughter here so that she would know where to go if she needed any assistance.  Ukyo, I would like to provide your supplies from our company.  We can sell them to you at cost, and that will increase your profits," Kuonji said.

"Well, we're still a pretty small operation.  Nabiki handles the business end of things.  That's what she does for her share of the profit.  I'll talk to her and get her agreement, but I don't see that as a problem.  I will insist on good quality ingredients.  We've made a name for quality, and I won't see that compromised," she replied.

"Higurashi, I think we're done here.  Make sure you take care of my daughter.  I imagine she'll have Miss Tendo do the negotiations.  Don't try to pull anything on her.  She'll break it off in you," Kuonji said.  He rose and bowed politely.  Ukyo stood up quickly and followed him out the door.  As he left the building, he turned to his daughter and said, with a great deal of pride, "Ukyo, I'm proud of you.  If your little restaurant is doing enough business to cause Higurashi a problem, then you are indeed worthy to be my heir.  He's one of the best managers this company has had.  That's one reason why I never came to Tokyo.  With him here, there was never any difficulties.  I was afraid he might have started to slip.  I'm glad that's not the case.  Use him as a mentor, there is a great deal that he can teach you."  On that note, they walked companionably toward Ucchan's.  Fortunately, the rain had come and gone while they were talking to Higurashi.

As they turned onto the street leading up towards Ucchans, Ukyo saw an extremely unhappy looking small pig sitting on the corner.  The pig cried, happily, "Bwee!" as it saw Ukyo.  The pig came running, and jumped into Ukyo's arms.

"Hello, P-chan, I missed you," Ukyo said, mischievously kissing the pig on its snout.  The pig froze in shock.  "Did you have a nice day?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.

Her father shook his head and said, "You know, you talk to that pig as if you expected it to understand you."

"Father, you'd be surprised.  He's a very smart pig," Ukyo said, with a giggle.

As they entered the crowded restaurant, Shampoo greeted them, "Nihao, you two.  Ryoga told me to tell you that he needed to run an errand.  He thought he would be back by now, though."

"Well, he'll turn up when he wants to, I suppose," Ukyo sighed, "Looks like you could use some help."  Just then, Ranma came walking out of the kitchen, wearing one of Shampoo's waitress uniforms.

"Hey, Ucchan, Mr. Kuonji.  How was your day?" she asked pleasantly, as she walked by carrying a tray of food, heading for one of the booths.

"Hi, Ranchan.  Thanks for helping out," Ukyo said.

"No problem.  Shampoo said she wanted ta give you two as much time as she could together.  I couldn't turn her down when she said that," she said as she came back from the booth.  Ranma smirked when she saw Ryoga, and said, "Hey, cute pig.  Is it your pet?"

Ukyo sweat dropped and then said, "That's right.  You haven't met P-chan have you?  I found him a while ago.  He likes to wander off, though, so I'm never sure when he's going to be around.  Listen, sugar, I'm going to go change, and then come back down and help Shampoo.  Here, why don't you take P-chan into the back while I do that."  She handed the pig to Ranma who held him gingerly.  Ukyo went upstairs, while Ranma went into the back.

Ranma took Ryoga into the little cubby and put him on the ground.  "Sorry, Ryoga, I don't have any hot water right now.  I'll get some started, okay?"

Ryoga nodded and curled up on the ground to wait.  Ranma went back into the kitchen and started some water on to heat.  Several minutes later, Ukyo came into the kitchen.  She said, "What did you do with P-chan?"

Ranma smiled and said, "I put him in his room.  I've got some water on to heat, but it's not ready yet.  I don't think Shampoo knows about this."

"Ranchan, I'll take over.  You can go home if you want," Ukyo said, "Father said he was tired after the long day."

She came over and hugged Ranma, and then turned in surprise as she heard an angry "Bwee" from behind her.  P-chan came over and tried to bite Ranma on the leg.

"Hey, settle down.  She was just thanking me, ya stupid pig.  What's gotten into ya, anyway?" Ranma said, "Hey, listen, if he's gonna act like this, I'd better leave.  See ya around, you two."  Ranma went and changed back into her clothing, blew a kiss at Ryoga and waved goodbye as she went out the door.

By that time the water was warm enough, so Ukyo took the water and Ryoga back into his room.  She poured the water, and turned her back while Ryoga scrambled into his clothing.  "What was that all about, Ryoga?  Ranma is my friend, there was no reason for you to attack him?" she said, angrily.

"I'm sorry, Ukyo.  I saw Ranma hugging you and for some reason I saw red," Ryoga said shamefully, "I'll apologize the next time I see Ranma."

Later that evening, once they closed the restaurant, Ryoga, Ukyo and her father shared a brief dinner.  Mr. Kuonji retired upstairs claiming an exhausting day.  Once they finished washing up, Ukyo hugged Ryoga and said, "Thanks for another good day, Ryoga.  It's been fun hanging out with you like this."

Ryoga blushed and then replied, "Ukyo, I've enjoyed it too.  I feel very comfortable around you and your father.  I like him."

"That's wonderful.  I think he respects you as well," Ukyo said,  "I think it's getting pretty late.  Why don't we get to bed?"  Then she blushed as she realized what she had said.  Ryoga smiled briefly, and then kissed his erstwhile fiancée.  They headed off to their respective bedrooms, after sharing another brief smile.

Downstairs in his cubby, Ryoga was still wide-awake staring into the ceiling.  'Ukyo is so beautiful.  When we kissed, I could feel something spark between us. She likes me for who I am.  Already what I feel is different than the obsession I used to have with Shampoo.  Am I falling in love with her?  I know I felt warmed when she held me,' he thought.  Finally after tossing and turning for what seemed like ages, he fell asleep.  The last thing he remembered was her smiling face as she kissed him.


	28. Nabiki's Gambit

Chapter 28 Nabiki's Gambit

Akane answered the door at the Tendo home. "Why hello, Mr. Kuonji, Ukyo, come on in," she said, politely, "How nice to see you today."

"Hello, again, Akane. Are the Saotome's here by any chance?" Kuonji asked.

Akane said, "Auntie Nodoka is here. Mr. Saotome hasn't come back from the clinic yet. I'm not quite sure why he's there, since Tofu closed it down while he was gone, and they don't come back until Saturday. Though, come to think about it, if Mr. Saotome was here, Nabiki and I would have made him help clean house." She led the way to the living room, where Nabiki and Nodoka were talking.

Kuonji bowed to Nodoka, in greeting. "Mrs. Saotome, I came to discuss the arrangement that I made with your husband. Would it be possible to go meet him?" he asked.

"Mr. Kuonji, please my name is Nodoka. We can certainly do that if you wish. However, the two of us could certainly come to some sort of agreement, I'm sure. Unless of course, you object to the idea of discussing family business with a mere woman," Nodoka said, lightly stressing the word 'mere', her voice sounding like velvet. Of course, this velvet was covering a bare steel blade.

Kuonji hesitated, and then said, "Of course not. There's no such thing as a mere woman. I should have thought of discussing this with you, myself. My apologies if I may have suggested any discourtesy."

"There is none needed. With your permission, I'd like Nabiki to assist us. As a neutral third party, she may provide some unique viewpoint that would ease our discussion," Nodoka replied smoothly.

Kuonji looked at Nabiki and reappraised her. "Miss Tendo would be welcome. Would you like your daughter to participate as well?" he asked, "I had thought to allow Ukyo to do so, as she is an interested party."

"That may be wise. Akane, dear, would you ask Ranma to join us? I believe she may be in the dojo, practicing her katas," Nodoka asked.

Akane said, "I think she has come back in. Let me check." She went through the house to the bathroom and entered the outer room. She knocked on the door to the bathing chamber and asked, "Ranchan, are you in there? The Kuonjis are here to talk." She heard the sound of someone climbing out of the furo, and then a quick shower. A towel clad Ranma opened the door and reached for her clean clothing.

"Tell Mom that I'll be right there. I just need to get dressed," Ranma said, as she hurriedly shut the door.

Akane went back to the living room where she said, "Ranchan was just getting cleaned up. As soon as she's dressed, she'll be right out."

Several minutes later, Ranma entered the living room carrying the formal tea set, wearing a formal kimono. She gracefully knelt in front of the table and placed the tray on it. There she skillfully poured tea, first for the two visitors, eldest first, and then for her mother, Nabiki and Akane in that order. Then she poured a cup for herself.

"Why, thank you, dear, that was very thoughtful of you," Nodoka said, in surprise, sipping her tea. She hadn't realized that Ranma had known a simple version of a formal tea ceremony.

"Nodoka," Kuonji began, "I'm afraid that I must admit to being a bit perplexed. I'm not sure how your husband and I managed to overlook something so basic about arranging an engagement, namely that one of the couple be male and the other be female. It's actually somewhat embarrassing that neither one of us even thought of asking. I know both names are masculine, but still one of us should have asked. After thinking about it the last few days, I'm quite sure that neither one of us ever said anything about the gender of our children."

"Knowing my husband as well as I do," Nodoka said, "I'm quite sure that he treated Ranma as if she was a boy. At that age, unless you were looking for it, I doubt you would have thought that she was anything else but a boy. Also, knowing my husband, I'm sure he was too blind to see past the opportunity to get food, and when you added the yatai as a dowry, he would have jumped at the chance. The fact that only a girl would have a dowry should have clued him in that Ukyo was female, but I wouldn't put it past him to have missed that subtlety."

"Er, that may have been my fault. I don't recall ever saying it was a dowry. I think I offered it as an incentive to make the deal, since I had sensed some reluctance on his part to make an agreement," Kuonji responded.

"Do you know where the yatai is now, Mr. Kuonji?" Nabiki asked quickly.

Kuonji looked rather embarrassed. "Actually, I was able to retrieve it shortly after Ukyo left on her search. If I had known where she was, things might be slightly different. One of my more distant cousins had actually bought it from Saotome shortly after he left my daughter. It took him several years to track me down. I, of course, reimbursed him for his time and trouble," he answered.

"Obviously, we would be honor bound to recompense you for that as well as any inconvenience that you may have had," Nodoka replied, "I'm not sure how to atone for whatever embarrassment that you or Ukyo may have had."

"Auntie, you and Ranchan have already done enough merely by making me feel a part of your extended family. The only person that I think needs to atone is your husband. I just ask that you consider that fact in any decision that you may reach regarding his future," Ukyo said.

Nodoka smiled thinly. "I can assure you that whatever I decide about Gemna will take all relevant information into account. Also, depending on what I decide, I may request your assistance. If I do ask, I believe you will certainly achieve the satisfaction you desire," Nodoka replied.

Kuonji said, "I believe we understand each other, Nodoka. As for any embarrassment that I personally may have had, if my daughter is satisfied, then I will consider that matter closed."

Nabiki said smoothly, "That is very gracious of you, sir. It sounds like we may have an agreement in principle. As I understand it, you two are willing to dissolve the engagement agreement between your two families if the Saotomes provide adequate recompense for the effort of recovering the yatai, as well as considering Ukyo's embarrassment in any future decisions Auntie may make with regard to her husband. The two families agree that this will allow both of them to walk away with their honor intact. Does this sound correct?"

Kuonji said, "That is an elegant summation of my understanding of the situation."

"I agree, Nabiki," Nodoka said.

"Could you perhaps provide an estimate of how much it may have cost you to recover your property," Nabiki asked, "and how long ago did you obtain it?"

"It was only one hundred thousand yen, and I recovered it three years ago," Kuonji admitted.

Nabiki blinked in surprise at the relatively low number. "Then would two hundred thousand yen be a satisfactory reimbursement for all of your time and trouble?" she asked.

Kuonji thought for a while, until he noticed the glare from his daughter. She nodded slightly. He said, "Yes, that amount would be satisfactory. However, I would recommend some sort of nominal agent fee for yourself, Miss Tendo."

"I would suggest forty thousand for your fee, Nabiki," Nodoka said quietly, "After all, it is coming out of Gemna's hide." She smiled thinly.

Nabiki quickly wrote up the agreement, filling in all of the terms and conditions. After Nodoka and Kuonji signed all three copies, Nabiki notarized the signatures and provided each of them with a signed, notarized copy. "Ranma, dear, could you run upstairs and fetch my purse," Nodoka asked politely. Ranma ran upstairs quickly and shortly returned, handing her mother a purse. Nabiki's eyes grew large as Nodoka pulled a large roll of money out of her purse and calmly counted out two piles, without changing the size of the roll in her hand appreciably. She handed the larger of the two stacks to Kuonji and the smaller to Nabiki.

Ranma bowed to Kuonji and said, "Thanks for your understanding about all this. I'm happy that we were able ta come ta an agreement that leaves our honor intact. I'm even happier that Ucchan and I will still be friends."

"Thank you for this courtesy in this matter as well," Kuonji wais, "It has been an interesting week, wouldn't you say daughter? Nodoka, Nabiki, and Akane, it has been a pleasure to meet you. Ranma, I'm glad I met you again. It would honor me greatly if you would come see me off at the train station this evening. It seems that I have a daughter to return to the clan roster."

"When are you leaving?" Akane said as she walked over to stand next to Ranma.

"On the next train. I believe that one leaves in an hour. I will meet you at the station. We need to get my luggage and pick up Ryoga at Ucchans."

A half hour later, the two parties met at the local train station. Kuonji smiled to himself as he saw how close Ranma and Akane were standing to each other. He shook hands with Ryoga and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Ryoga. Please take good care of my daughter."

Ryoga stammered and said, "I plan to sir. You can't imagine what she means to me." Ukyo blushed in surprise at the way he said that.

Kuonji said farewell to Nodoka and Nabiki. "It was a pleasure doing business with you two. Maybe next time, we can work on the same side, Nabiki. The opposition wouldn't stand a chance."

When he said goodbye to Ranma and Akane, he just smiled knowingly at them.

He then hugged his daughter and said quietly, "One day I hope you really do get engaged to Ryoga. I think he is the right man for you."

Ukyo stammered, "Why don't you think we're engaged now?"

He smiled and said, "You still look a bit stiff together. Right now, Ranma and Akane look more comfortable as a couple that you two." He kissed his daughter good-bye, chuckling at the expression on her face and then entered the train. Ukyo just stared thoughtfully into space as the train pulled away.

-----------------------------------

Nabiki woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, her body drenched in sweat. She wasn't sure exactly what had woken her up. 'Wow, that must have been some dream I had,' she thought groggily. She slowly crawled out of bed, and headed downstairs to the bathroom. She quickly washed herself off, and changed into a different set of pajamas. The ones she had been wearing were entirely too sticky to wear. She went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She leaned against the counter, drinking her water, lost in thought, trying to recall exactly what the dream she had was about. All she could recall, though, was how excited she had been in the dream. Slowly, a mischievous grin appeared on her face. 'I need some new photographs of Ranma. What he doesn't know won't hurt me,' she thought. She quickly made up a kettle of hot water, and refilled her glass with cold water. Quietly, she went upstairs to her room and grabbed her camera. She crept up the attic stairs to the door into Ranma's room. She ignored the occasional creak of those stairs, since Ranma slept so hard. As she slowly pushed the door to the room open, she allowed her eyes to adjust to the dim moonlight pouring through the one window in the room. She gasped out loud when she saw that there were actually two figures in Ranma's futon. Then she smirked as she realized the opportunity in front of her. She thought wickedly, 'This should break Ranma and Akane up. She'll never forgive him for sleeping with some other woman, under our roof at that. Should I show them to her and make her angry enough to dump him, or would it work better to blackmail him into leaving her for me. Of course I'll still have to take care of that slut. Doesn't matter, either way, he'll be mine!!!' In the silence of her mind, she laughed evilly. She raised the camera to her eye and prepared to take a picture. Then she froze in utter and complete disbelief as one of the figures rolled over onto her back.

Akane opened one eye and growled, "Don't even think about taking a picture, Sis. Unless you like the idea of eating that camera, that is!"

"You wouldn't hurt me," Nabiki smirked, "If I publish this photo of you and Ranma, you'll be ruined at school." She chuckled evilly.

"Yep, two fully clothed girls, in pajamas, at a sleepover. That'll really trash my reputation. You must really be half asleep to think that can work. Besides, seriously, if you try, you'll be eating your meals through a straw for several weeks. I'm tired of you trying to blackmail me, Nabiki. I thought we already 'discussed' that. It ends now," Akane said firmly.

Nabiki narrowed her eyes in anger. "That does it, Akane. The gloves come off. I'm warning you to get out of my way. I'm going to do whatever it takes to steal Ranma away from you. He's mine," she snarled.

Akane arched one eyebrow. "Gee, I'm the one he says he loves, the one he spends most of his time with, the one he kisses all the time, the one he has most in common with. I'm actually sleeping in his bed. Duh, just how the hell do you figure he's yours," Akane said with some heat. She glared at her sister, her battle aura beginning to show.

Nabiki slumped her shoulders in despair and defeat. "Damn you, Akane. I can't argue with that. How come you get all the guys? It's not fair, it's not right. I'm prettier, smarter and better built than you after all," she said mournfully.

Akane tried very hard not to snicker. "Sis, everyone's afraid of you at school because of your reputation. You have dirt on a large part of the male population. If you want to be popular at school, you've got to change that," she said lightly.

Ranma rolled over and opened her eyes. "Are you two done, yet? I really am trying ta sleep here," she said sleepily as she yawned.

"Ranma, what do you see in Akane? Why'd you pick her over me?" Nabiki cried.

Ranma hesitated, trying to find exactly the right words. "Nabiki, I mostly like ya. Sometimes, though, ya act like your image is the real you. I don't like that person; she's not very nice. I'm just not interested in a cold-hearted, mercenary bitch, and that's who the Ice Queen of Furinkan High School is, "Ranma said, slowly.

"OUCH, that hurts, Ranma," Nabiki said, "You like the girl behind the mask, but sometimes you're not sure where the person ends and the mask begins. Is that what you're saying?"

Ranma thought for a while and then replied, "Yeah, basically that's what I meant. As to why I love Akane, there's no one reason. All I know is that one day I realized that I had fallen in love with her, sometime before the play, probably. I spent almost a year trying ta get ta know all of ya, hiding my feelings. I even tried to lie ta myself about how I felt. Then I go act opposite Akane in a romantic tragedy, as her love interest no less. Silly, huh. I couldn't have hid how I felt after that, even if I'd wanted ta."

"So what am I supposed to do now? The man I fell in love with is in love with my sister," Nabiki said.

"Well, duh, why are you asking us? Kasumi is the one who's read every psychology book she can get her hands on," Akane said with a wry grin, "Neither one of us is an expert, but I really shouldn't need to tell you Kasumi is someone you should talk to."

"Akane's right. The little talks I had with her in the morning while she cooked helped straighten my head out," Ranma said, "She pays a lot more attention to what is going on around her than ya think she does."

Nabiki put her camera down, and walked over to Akane. "Sis, I'm sorry. Once the two of you made your feelings known, I should have either said something then, or given up. Instead, I kept coming up with plans to try to steal him from you. Some of them were so horrible, that I couldn't bring myself to do them. Can you forgive me, please?"

Akane said, after a great deal of thought, "Nabiki, I want you to promise to thaw out. I don't want the Ice Queen for a sister, anymore. I want the sister I had before Mother died back. That sister would have never done some of the things that you've done. That sister I don't have to forgive. I think you need to seek forgiveness from yourself, and that's going to be harder to get." She hugged her sister. Nabiki smiled tremulously. Ranma leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Nabiki, I want ta thank ya for the help ya gave Mom this afternoon with Kuonji. What ya did allowed both of our families ta come out of it with our honor intact. The fact that ya made Pop look like a complete fool was an added bonus. I owe ya big time," Ranma said.

"Ranma, I was helping mostly to get rid of another rival for your affections. I got a commission from your mother for brokering the deal as well," Nabiki said.

Ranma smiled sadly, "Nabiki, I wasn't talking about that kinda debt. There's more ta life than just money, ya know?"

Nabiki opened her eyes in shock. Then she giggled. Ranma face-faulted. "Ranma, I was kidding you a bit. I knew what you were talking about," she said.

"It's a start," Akane said with a cryptic smile.

"I better get back to bed," Nabiki said. She slowly stood and sadly walked downstairs. Ranma and Akane gazed after her, identical expressions of worry on their faces. Finally they shrugged, and lay back down, trying to get back to sleep.


	29. Another Date

Chapter 29 Another Date

Ranma came back to the Tendo home after a long afternoon of shopping.  He had disappeared immediately after class that Saturday, knowing that he needed to be alone for what he wanted to do.  He had finally found what he was looking for.  It had taken him a long time, but he thought the search was worth it.  As he entered the house, he met Akane.  "Yo, Acchan, would ya like ta go out ta dinner tonight?  I'd like ta take my girlfriend out for a change.  This was a real long week with Mr. Kuonji here.  I could use a night out on the town," he said.

"I'd love to, Ranchan," Akane said, pleased, "I'll tell your mother that we won't be home for dinner.  She took one look at Kasumi when they got back this morning and told her to go straight to bed, and not to even think about housework.  Apparently, the trip to her mother-in-law took a lot out of her."

"Wear something really dressy, tonight.  I'd like tonight ta be real special," Ranma said, "Can we be ready in about an hour?  You just go get ready, I'll tell Mom we won't be home."

Akane nodded and went upstairs.  Ranma went into the kitchen and told his mother that they were going out.  After taking a quick shower, he headed upstairs to change.  He came back downstairs, wearing a very nice suit.  Kasumi met him at the foot of the stairs, and said, "Oh my, you certainly cleaned up nice tonight.  Are you going somewhere?"

Ranma nodded.  "Yes, Kasumi-chan.  I'm taking Akane out to thank her for being so understanding this past week," he said.  Then a vision of loveliness descended the stairs.  In a suddenly tight voice, he said, "Acchan, you're simply gorgeous."  He wondered why all of a sudden his collar had gotten so tight.

Akane blushed prettily as he took her arm.  "Tell them not to wait up, Sis.  We'll be out late tonight," Akane said.

Kasumi beamed and said, "You two look very nice tonight.  Have fun!"

Ranma slowly escorted Akane out the door and headed toward the gate.  There the limo that he had arranged was waiting.  After helping her into the car, he climbed in after her.  She leaned against his shoulder as the limo drove off.  It soon arrived at the restaurant that Ranma had selected.

"Oh, Ranchan, you remembered.  This is where we had our first date," Akane said happily.

Ranma smiled as he escorted her to the hostess.  He mentioned his name and they were quickly seated.  Akane's eyes grew wide as she realized that it was the same table.  There on the table, was a small bouquet of red roses with a card attached.  Akane's eyes misted as she read the note written on the card.  It said, 'To the girl I love, Ranma'

Ranma ordered wine for the two of them when the waitress appeared to take their drink order.  When she came back, he ordered shrimp tempura for the both of them, saying that he wanted to remind her again of their first date.  They sat there contentedly gazing at each other's eyes.  When the dinner arrived, they ate quietly. Finally, Akane asked, "What are you thinking, Ranchan?"

"That I'm the luckiest man alive.  I'm with the girl that I love, and my life is starting to make a little sense.  School is over for the year, and we will be juniors starting next week.  How about you?" Ranma said.

"Much the same.  I'm looking forward to the changes we'll see next year," Akane said.

They began to hear some music in the background.  They looked up and remembered that there was a small dance floor tucked away in one corner of the room. A music group had just started playing some dance music.  Several couples were already out on the dance floor, slow dancing together.  Akane looked wistfully at the couples, eyes misting just a bit.

Ranma said, "Akane, would you care to dance."

Akane's eyes widened.  She nodded, almost shyly, as Ranma helped her out of the chair and they walked over to the dance floor.  Ranma put his arm around her waist, and held her as they began to dance.  They began to move gracefully around the floor.  Akane rested her head against his chest and sighed contentedly.  When the music finally stopped, after several slow dance tunes, she found herself reluctant to let him go.  He smiled gently, and led her back to the table.

He hesitated, and then asked, "You 'bout ready to go?"  She nodded.  He paid the restaurant bill and helped her out of her chair.  They left the restaurant arm in arm, Akane carrying her roses.  As they were walking home from the wonderful evening, Ranma led Akane into the park.  They sat down on one of the park benches near the fountain.  Ranma held Akane in his arms for a long time, gazing into the liquid pools of her eyes.  She reached up and pulled his head forward and kissed him hungrily.  Finally, and reluctantly, he pulled away.  He hesitated, and then, pulled a small box from his jacket pocket.  He got down on one knee in front of her.  "Acchan," he asked nervously, "I know we said we were gonna wait for a while, but I got ta thinking.  Akane Tendo, will you marry me?"

Akane's eyes moistened with tears. "Ranchan, you big dope, of course I'll marry you.  I've wanted you to ask me for weeks," she said, as she opened the box, heart hammering in her chest.  Hearing those words, he took the engagement ring from the box and slowly slid it on her finger.  Akane grabbed her fiancé and kissed him with fervor.  "Now, you're really mine," she growled as she reluctantly broke the kiss.  She gazed at him, her eyes glistening with happiness.

Ranma gazed into those eyes and lost himself in the love he saw there.  "Acchan, I'm so glad you said yes.  I was really nervous since we had agreed to wait until we graduated but I just couldn't wait any longer."  He leaned forward and captured her lips with his own.

She kissed back, lips parting slightly under the pressure.  Her breathing quickened, and her pulse raced.  Eventually, they separated., both of them trying to get their passion under control.  Akane said, breathlessly, "Ranchan, we'd better stop.  Let's go on home.  I can't wait to tell everyone."

They walked home, hand-in-hand, sharing the occasional glance and smile.  As they entered the house, Nodoka spied the ring on Akane's hand.  She gasped, and then rushed over to hug the two of them.

"Ranma, Akane, congratulations, you two.  I'm so happy for the both of you," Nodoka said.

Ranma said, "Mom, we still need ya to control our fathers."

"Not a problem, Ranma," Nodoka said with a wintry smile.

"We still need to get out of high school before we marry," Ranma said softly.

Akane whispered to Ranma, "I'm not sure I want to wait that long.  Maybe when we're seniors."  Ranma looked at her in surprise, and then he nodded happily.

Hearing the commotion, Kasumi walked into the hallway.  When she saw the two of them, and the ring on Akane's hand, she smiled, and said, "Akane, I'm so happy for you.  My sister is engaged to a wonderful person."  'Finally,' she thought, 'Ranma got up the courage and asked.'

The four of them went into the living room where they found Soun and Gemna playing shogi and drinking sake.  Tofu was reading one of his medical journals.  Nabiki was watching television.  She saw Ranma and Akane holding hands.  Akane was blushing, visibly glowing with excitement.  She paled slightly when she saw the ring on Akane's finger, and then nodded in reluctant acceptance.

"Father, I have an announcement.  Ranma has asked me to marry him, and I have accepted," Akane said.

Nabiki simply walked over and kissed them both.  "Akane, make him happy for both of us," Nabiki whispered.  Akane's eyes brightened and she hugged her sister.

Soun and Gemna began dancing around, both of them singing, "Now the schools will be joined, oh happy day!"

Shampoo came walking in from the kitchen, and asked, "What's all the commotion?  What is that awful racket coming from those two all about?"

In answer, Akane held up her left hand, and said, "Ranchan asked me to marry him!!"

Shampoo smiled and then said, half jokingly, "Your people have such strange customs.  In Amazon village, the woman tells the man that he is to marry her."

Nodoka smiled mysteriously and said, "We don't do it much differently here either, Shampoo.  Our women are just a bit more subtle."

Tofu walked over and said, "Congratulations.  This calls for a bit of a celebration."  He got saucers for the rest of the party and poured sake for everyone.  He raised his saucer and proposed a toast, "To the happy couple!"

"When can we plan the wedding?" Gemna asked.

Nodoka scowled at her husband.  "Gemna, they are still too young for a marriage.  Let them get through high school, first.  Anyway, it is their decision to make, not ours," she said forcefully.

Gemna took one look at the expression on his wife's face and backed down.  "Soun, old friend," he said, sententiously, "We need to trust our children.  They will get married when they choose."

"Thanks, Pop, for being so understanding," Ranma said sarcastically.  Of course, Gemna was oblivious to the sarcasm.

Akane and Ranma started up the stairs, followed by Nabiki.  As they got to Nabiki's room, Ranma turned to her and asked, "Nabiki, could we talk ta ya for a second?"

Nabiki looked at them for a second and then nodded.  She opened the door to her room and motioned them to come in.  Ranma hesitated, and then asked, "Nabiki, I need ta ask ya for a favor.  I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't broadcast the news of our engagement.  I'm not asking ya ta lie, though.  If someone asks, you can tell 'em the truth."

Akane added, "Even though the Hentaii Brigade has given up on me, the news of my engagement will probably rattle some of the ones who aren't well grounded in reality."

With one voice, each of them said, "Kuno!"

"I know our parents think they took care of those two morons, but I'm sure the fact that we are now officially engaged will drive them over the edge.  If they come after either of us, I want it clear that we didn't provoke them, so don't tell Kuno, whatever you do, okay, sis?" Akane asked.

"What will you do to them if they attack you?" Nabiki asked.  Two identical wolfish grins answered her.  A slight shiver ran up her spine.  "Uh, is it possible that I may have misjudged the two of you?  Just how dangerous are you?"

"Nabiki, I'm very dangerous.  Ranma is even worse," Akane said, "However, neither of us is planning anything permanent.  On the other hand, if someone were to come between us,-"  She left the threat unsaid.  However, Nabiki got the message.  For the first time, her little sister had scared her.

"I guess that's everything we needed ta say ta ya, Nabiki.  You with us on that?" Ranma said, ignoring the undercurrents between his fiancée and her sister.

Nabiki gulped and said, "Sure, Ranma.  I think you made a good point."  She was surprised at the relieved expression on Ranma's face.  She was even more surprised when he hugged her.

"Thanks, sis.  Believe me it's better this way," Ranma said.  On that slightly cryptic note he turned and left the room.  Nabiki looked at Akane, trying to figure out which of the several messages he might have been saying was the correct one.  Akane just smiled, a smile reminiscent of the one the Mona Lisa wore.  Then she turned and followed her fiancé out of the room.


	30. Reactions

Author's Note:  There is a mild lime content to this chapter. Least I think it's mild.

Chapter 30 Reactions

As Ranma and Akane ate breakfast on Sunday morning, Nabiki slowly made her way downstairs and sat down across from them.  Kasumi took one look at the bedraggled sister plopped down next to her and said, "What's wrong with you, Nabiki?  You look horrible!"

Nabiki grimaced as she drank her tea, and then said, "I didn't get much sleep last night, Kasumi.  I'm surprised I look this good to be honest."

"Well, you look like hell, quite frankly," Akane said, earning a rather hot glare from Nabiki.

Nabiki finished her meal quickly.  "Thanks, Akane.  I hadn't noticed," she said sarcastically as she headed toward the bathroom.

Kasumi got up quickly and followed Nabiki.  She firmly closed the door behind her.  She lost her normal, cheerful expression and frowned at her sister.  Then she asked, "What's really the matter, Nabiki?  There's something going on that you're trying to hide."

"What do you think, Kasumi?  The man I love doesn't love me.  Hell, a lot of the time he doesn't even like me.  Even worse he loves my sister.  It was bad enough when they were just dating as boyfriend and girlfriend.  But now that they're engaged, I couldn't sleep.  Especially since I'm the reason they went ahead and got engaged.  They were sending me a message.  You wouldn't understand!" Nabiki cried.

"Why wouldn't I understand?  What gives you the idea that I don't still love Ranma?" Kasumi said quietly, "When Tofu asked me to marry him, I didn't give him an answer right away.  I waited until Ranma came home and I told him that Tofu had proposed.  I don't know what I expected, but he told me that I belonged with Tofu.  He deliberately pushed me at Tofu.  Don't misunderstand me, I do love Tofu, and I definitely don't regret marrying him.  I've never been happier, but I still felt a great deal of regret when Ranma said he loved Akane.  Every once and a while, I still look at Ranma and wish he had told me something different."

"So you're telling me that I need to get over Ranma by finding another man to fall in love with," Nabiki growled angrily, "What kind of fool do you think I am?"

Kasumi frowned in vexation.  "No, I'm not saying that.  I'm saying that life goes on.  Someday you'll find someone else, I'm sure.  But you have to stop pushing them away first.  That's all that I meant.  If you don't pull yourself out of this depression, I'm afraid you'll do something silly.  None of us want that, and Ranma would be the first person to tell you that he's not worth it," she said.

Nabiki looked at her sister in shock.  She said, "Sis, I'm angry at myself, not suicidal.  I should have told Ranma how I felt about him as soon as I realized I loved him.  Instead, I tried to get rid of all of my rivals for his love.  Being sneaky and underhanded caused me to lose."

"Then maybe you've learned something from all of this, Nabiki," Kasumi said with a smile as she left.

Later that Sunday morning Ranma was walking hand in hand with Akane, heading over to see Ukyo.  Shampoo was trailing behind them, smiling to herself.  As they entered the restaurant, Shampoo headed toward the kitchen to start preparing the food for the noon rush.  Ukyo smiled to see Ranma had wasted no time in changing back to his male form once her father had left.  "Hey, sugar, are you glad to be back to being a guy?" she teased.

Ranma smiled and answered, "It really wasn't too bad, Ucchan.  The worst thing about the whole week was I got bored.  It was so bad I even missed not going ta class.  Ucchan, if ya got a moment, we need ta talk.  Why doncha come sit over here with us?"  Ukyo shrugged her shoulders, and followed them over to one of the booths.

"Ucchan, we wanted ya ta hear this from us.  I asked Akane ta marry me last night, and she said yes.  I guess that makes it official," Ranma said.

Ukyo looked stunned for a second.  She then said, "Thanks for having the courtesy to tell me first.  I thought you were going to be just boyfriend and girlfriend.  What caused you to change your mind?"

Ranma shrugged his shoulders and said, "There was a girl who was showing signs of not accepting that I love Akane.  So long as we stayed boyfriend and girlfriend, she was thinking that maybe I wasn't serious.  I was tired of all of that.  I love Akane and I decided ta ask her."

"Well, I'll be honest, Ranchan.  This isn't totally unexpected.  You've been leaving clues behind for a while.  I won't deny that it still hurts.  The surprise is that it doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would."  On that note, she hugged Akane and Ranma and ran upstairs.

Ryoga came out then and asked, "What did you do to Ukyo, Ranma?"

"Told her that Akane and I are engaged," Ranma said with a sigh, "She's still not completely over me and it hurt her feelings that I picked someone else."

Ryoga said, "Well, congratulations, both of you.  I'll go up and talk to her.  Maybe I can calm her down."  He went upstairs feeling strangely relieved, and knocked on Ukyo's door, while Ranma and Akane left to go home.

Shampoo smiled to herself as she watched Ryoga follow Ukyo upstairs.  While she had come to accept Ryoga as a friend, she didn't see him as ever becoming her boyfriend. She was glad she had suggested to Nabiki that Ryoga pretend to be Ukyo's fiancé.  Since he had to spend most of his time with Ukyo, Shampoo thought that it looked like he had lost his bizarre fixation on her.  While no Amazon warrior woman would ever admit to fear, it was scary that the only two men who had ever expressed an interest in her acted almost the same around her.  Ryoga at least had gotten better since their last conversation had made it clear she didn't like being stalked.  She turned as the door to the restaurant opened.  She called out, "We're not opened yet.  Oh, it's you Mousse.  What are you doing here?"

Xian Pu, I came to see you.  I missed you and came to see if you missed me too, he said.

I was hoping that after the last time, you would know that I didn't want to see you again, Shampoo replied.

Mousse sighed.  Then he asked, When we were younger, we were friends.  What did I do to make you dislike me?

You started stalking me.  I don't like people who do that.  Every time I turned around in the village, you were there saying you loved me.  You weren't as good at martial arts as I was, and then your eyes really started to go bad, making you even worse.  The rest of the village thought it was beneath me to even allow you near me.  While I know it was wrong of me, I let that affect my opinion of you.  I need a strong man to love me, a true warrior, and that's not what you were, Shampoo answered.

That's not true, Mousse protested, I am a strong warrior, Xian Pu.  I'm a master of the school of Hidden Weapons.  They don't make just anyone a master!

True.  But we're talking about then, not about now.  You know our laws.  You first have to beat Airen in combat, and then fight me.  You can certainly beat Airen, but I'm a different story.  Ranma has continued to train me in his school, so I'm even better than I was back in the village, Shampoo said.

Mousse slumped his shoulders.  That's my real problem, Xian Pu.  I can't bring myself to hurt you.  Even if I did beat Gemna Saotome, I couldn't bear to fight you as hard as I would have to, he said dejectedly.

Suddenly, Shampoo noticed something that she had missed.  "Mousse, where are your glasses?" she asked.

Mousse looked up startled, and then answered, "I went and had laser surgery done.  My eyes are fine now.  That's where I've been since the last time you saw me.  I had to earn the money first, and then heal up afterwards.  So no more chasing the wrong person, thinking it is you."

Shampoo looked thoughtful.  "Mousse, I won't ever be yours.  You need to stop thinking about me that way.  However, there isn't any reason why we can't be friends, if you can stop obsessing over me," Shampoo said.

Mousse sighed heavily, and then said, "Shampoo, I'm not sure I can do that.  I need to think about it for a while.  While I'm doing that though, where can I find your Airen?  I feel the need for some exercise to work off some of what I'm feeling."

"I'm sure he's at the clinic working.  Try not to damage the property.  Dr. Ono is a pretty nice guy, and it wouldn't be fair to him," Shampoo said, "Airen, on the other hand, is fair game.  He's not a nice man.  You should hear some of what he did to stepson."  She grinned wickedly.  Mousse smiled, and then left.

As Ryoga entered the upstairs apartment, he saw Ukyo sitting on the couch, looking sad.  He walked over and sat down next to her.  She threw herself into his arms and began crying on his shoulder.  Ryoga closed his arms around her and held her close.  She said haltingly, between her sobs, "I knew he was going to ask her to marry him, I just didn't think that he was going to ask her this soon.  We just dissolved our family agreement, after all.  I know he doesn't love me the way I do him.  I just didn't think it would hurt like this.  The funny thing is I was also feeling relieved when he told me."

"Just let it out, Ucchan.  You'll feel better when you do," Ryoga said gently into her hair.  Ukyo began to feel the warmth of his embrace.  To her surprise, she had begun to feel better as soon as he had held her.

She pulled herself away from him and gazed into his eyes.  She saw the concern for her reflected there.  Just the fact that he was here for her seemed to break the band of ice that had formed around her heart when she had head Ranma say those words.

Ryoga whispered, "Ucchan, I can't bear to see you unhappy.  What can I do to help you get over this?"  Ukyo surprised both of them by reaching up and kissing him.  He started to pull away, afraid for her, but then succumbed to the moment.  They kissed for what seemed like forever.

Finally, Ukyo pulled herself away.  "Ryoga, I'm sorry for using you like that.  I shouldn't have done that to you.  I just felt so happy in your arms," she said.

Ryoga replied, "Ukyo, you didn't do anything that I didn't want you to do.  I'm just afraid that you may be rushing things a bit, is all."

Ukyo smiled, a little sadly.  "Thanks, Ryoga.  You're right; I am feeling confused right now.  All I know is that I needed someone to hold me and help me through this and I hoped it would be you.  What that says, I don't know," Ukyo said.

"Ukyo, just give yourself a little time.  I'll be there waiting for you when you're ready," Ryoga replied.

She gazed at him, her eyes shining.  Then she said, "Ryo-chan, I don't think you'll need to wait a long time.  I don't want to be alone tonight.  Would you mind staying up here in the living room in case I need a shoulder again?" she asked.

Ryoga smiled and said, "Sure, if that makes you feel better.  Now, do you think you're ready to face the rest of the world?"

"Yes, just let me go wash my face, and I'll come right down," Ukyo replied.  She rose from the couch and went into the bathroom.  After washing her face, she stared at the mirror for several minutes.  'Okay, Ukyo girl, pull yourself together.  It's not the end of the world, after all,' she thought.  She walked out into the living room and said, "Okay, sugar.  We've got a restaurant to run.  I've indulged myself long enough."  She smiled fondly at her friend and they walked downstairs.

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That night, Ukyo and Ryoga finished cleaning up after their dinner.  She asked, "There's a couple of good movies on tonight.  Do you want to watch one of them with me?  Later on, I can make some popcorn."

"That sounds like fun, Ucchan.  I could stand a shower, first, though.  Can I borrow your bathroom?" Ryoga asked.  She nodded as he headed toward his room.  He came back out carrying some clothing and she led him up to the apartment.

Ryoga went on into the bathroom.  Soon, Ukyo heard the sound of the shower running, so she went into her room and grabbed something to change into.  She walked back out in time to see a freshly scrubbed Ryoga walking out of her bathroom and heading towards the door to the stairs.  She caught him and pointed him toward the futon.  After watching to make sure he made it, she went into the bathroom and showered herself.  She dressed in her pajamas and put her robe on over that and walked out and sat down on the futon next to Ryoga.  She turned to him and said, "Ryo-chan, thanks for being here with me.  You're a real friend."

He put his arm around her and said, "Ucchan, like I told you this morning, I'm here for you.  I enjoy being around you."  She leaned her head against his shoulder.

Ukyo smiled, as she said, "That means a lot to me, Ryo-chan.  I enjoy being with you, too.  Maybe we can go out dancing or something this week, while school's out."

"I'd like that.  All I can do is slow dancing, though.  Is that all right with you?" Ryoga asked.

"Sugar that would be nice.  It would give me an excuse to hold onto you so you couldn't wander off," she said, giggling.  She reached over and turned the television on using her remote control.  She changed the channel to the one the movie was going to be on.

"Oh, the movie 'Titanic' is the one you wanted to watch," he said, "That's supposed to be pretty good."

She slowly got up and poured the two of them a glass of red wine and brought them over to the futon.  She snuggled back into his embrace, and handed him his glass.  She proposed a toast, saying, "To good friends."  He echoed her toast as they clinked glasses and then sipped their wine.  They sat back in companionable silence and watched the movie.

Finally, the movie was over.  Ukyo had gone through several tissues, crying at several of the scenes, especially the one toward the end where the hero had frozen in the icy waters and drifted away.  Ryoga reached over and turned off the television with the remote.  He smiled at Ukyo, and said, "You're just a sucker for these romantic shows, aren't you?"

"Hey," she protested, "I thought I saw a tear or two in your eyes, too."

"Yeah, I'm a sucker for them.  I like the ones where the guy gets the girl better, though," Ryoga said.

"You do, huh," she said, an odd light in her eyes.  She reached up and kissed him hungrily.  He returned the kiss, and then reluctantly broke it.

"Ucchan, let's not rush this.  I want this to work, but I need to know that it's because you like me, not because you're rebounding from Ranma," Ryoga said gently.

"Ranma, who?" she said with a giggle.

He smiled, and said, "Good answer, but it's too soon.  I think it's time for us to go to bed."  He blushed as he saw the way she looked at him, and said, stammering, "To sleep, separate beds, you minx."

She kissed him again, and said, "Good night, Ryo-chan."

"Good-night, Ucchan.  Have pleasant dreams," he replied.  He watched as she walked into her bedroom and shut the door, swaying her hips seductively as she went.

He sighed, turned off the light and went to sleep on the futon.

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At breakfast the next morning at the Tendo home, Ranma cleared his throat and said, "Since school's out until the next week, I was thinking that me and Akane could go on another training trip for the rest of the week.  We'll be back on Saturday to allow us to rest up for when school starts on Monday.  That's if it's okay with you, of course, Mr. Tendo."

Soun looked thoughtful and said, "I think it would be good for you two to get away together."

"I'd like to go, as well.  I could use the practice," Kasumi said, looking at her husband for his reaction.

"That's sounds like it could be a good break before you have to start college next week, dear.  Maybe I could come up later in the week," Tofu said.

"Can I come, Ranma?" Nabiki asked, quietly.

Ranma looked at Akane, who shrugged her shoulders.  Ranma said, "I guess so, Nabiki.  But why would ya wanna go rough it for a week on a training trip?  You don't really have a big interest in martial arts, after all."

Nabiki said, thoughtfully, "I haven't shown much interest, that's true.  I'm beginning to think that may be a mistake on my part.  It's a part of my heritage, after all, so I ought to know the basics better than I do."  Then she flashed a quick smile, and said, "Besides I'm bored and it might be fun, the four of us together."

Ranma shrugged and said, "You're both welcome to join us.  You, as well, Doc if you can get away.  If we pack quickly, we can get ta where I wanna go early enough ta do some practicing after we get the campsite set up."

"Are you planning on going back to the same place, Ranchan?" Kasumi asked, "It was very pretty."

"I think so.  I checked the weather report this morning and it looks like nice, warm, sunny weather over that part of the island," Ranma replied, "You'll need ta dress sensibly for the hike, though."

Within an hour, the four of them were packed and ready to go.  Ranma had the same huge backpack that he'd carried on the last trip.  Akane was carrying a backpack almost as large.  Kasumi and Nabiki had smaller backpacks, though Kasumi hadn't been happy that Ranma wouldn't let her carry her cooking gear.  He had put that stuff in his and Akane's backpacks.

They said goodbye to the rest of the household and headed off at a brisk pace to the train station.  Ranma was pleasantly surprised to see that Nabiki was keeping up.  He knew she was reasonably fit, but he still needed to watch out for her.  She didn't have near the stamina and endurance of the other two girls.  As they got to the train station, Ranma bought the four tickets, while Nabiki collapsed on a bench.  Soon their train arrived and they made their way to their seats.

As the train rumbled down the tracks, traveling through the countryside, Nabiki promptly fell asleep, lulled by the sound of the wheels on the rails.  Kasumi pulled out one of her medical books and quickly became absorbed in what she was reading.  Akane simply cuddled with Ranma.  After a while, she asked, "What are you going to teach this time, Ranchan?"

"I just wanna give ya the opportunity ta practice what we did last time.  The real reason was ta just ta get us out of Nerima so Mom can knock some sense into the panda.  He was making noises about us getting married soon again this morning as I came down, and I didn't wanna listen to anymore of it," Ranma replied, "I want it ta be our decision on when we get married, not any one else's."

"Just as long as it's sooner rather than later, is all I ask, love," Akane said.

As they pulled into the station for the village, Ranma woke Nabiki up.  She grumbled in protest and then the four of them got their backpacks and left the train.  The four of them headed toward the grocery store.  There they bought the fresh food that Kasumi wanted and some ice.  Ranma pulled the same small ice chest out of his backpack and put the food and ice in the chest.  After putting it back in the backpack, Ranma shrugged it back on, staggering a bit with the increased weight.  "If you three are ready, the trail is this way," he said as he led them out of the village.  Ranma led them up the path at a moderate pace.  The path continued to climb, getting narrower as they went, and then began to wind around through a small narrow ravine.  Once they got through that, the path opened up again and they could see the lake in the distance.  Nabiki stopped to gaze at the scenic vista that had unfolded in front of her, both to soak in the view as well as to catch a quick break.

Once they had rested for a few minutes, they headed down the trail towards the large meadow where they had camped before.  Ranma led them over to one end where he wanted to set up the tents.  They gladly took their backpacks off and set them on the ground.  Ranma and Akane each pulled a tent out of their backpacks, and Ranma also pulled a dining fly out of his as well.  Ranma and Akane quickly set up the two tents, while the other two set up the dining fly between the two tents, facing the remains of the fire pit.  While the girls beginning arranging the belongings in the two tents, Ranma dug out the fire pit and lined it with large rocks.  He then quickly built a small table, out of rope and some small saplings he found.  By that time everyone was ready for a quick meal, and a break.

After lunch, Ranma suggested that they do some simple katas to limber up.  Again he kept a watchful eye on Nabiki to make sure she was okay.  After they had worked up a decent sweat doing the katas, he paired Nabiki and Akane up and had them spar with each other.  He did the same thing with Kasumi, though at a faster pace, since she was much better than Nabiki.  After about an hour and a half, he called a break.  He had noticed that Nabiki was getting pretty tired and sloppy.

"Biki-chan, how're ya doing?" Ranma called.

She sagged to the ground and replied, "I'm pretty wiped out Ranma.  Too much soft living I guess.  Between the hike up here and Akane knocking me around, I don't have much energy left."

"Akane, Kasumi, why don't you two go to the other end of the meadow and practice some ki blasts?  Do you remember how you did them last time?  Just keep them small and under control," he suggested.  The two young women shrugged their shoulders and walked over to where they could practice without hurting anything.

"Biki-chan, where did that come from, Ranma?" Nabiki asked.

"I don't know, it just seemed like a good pet name for ya.  I never had one for ya before, but I thought it was time.  If it bothers ya, I won't use it again.  At least not much," he replied with a smirk, "Seriously, why did ya want ta come today?"

"Pretty much the same reason you did.  I wanted to get out of town and away from Father.  He was trying to get me to help get you two married off right away.  I think your dad was putting some pressure on him.  If I'm here, then I don't have to listen to their half-baked schemes," she said.

"Thanks, Nabiki.  Looks like I need ta talk ta Mom, again.  She said she had a plan to keep him out of the inheritance.  Looks like we ought to use it now," Ranma said, sadly.  He deliberately changed the subject and asked, "How are your legs doing?  I noticed that you were kinda favoring one of them with Akane."

"I got a cramp in my left leg while we were hiking up here.  I thought I walked it out, but it started to hurt when we where sparring.  I'm just glad she was pulling her punches and slowing her speed down," Nabiki said.

"There's a couple of hot springs we can soak in later that'll help.  I can massage your leg now if ya want.  I'm gonna go check on Akane and Kasumi and then I'll come back," Ranma said.  He headed down toward Akane and Kasumi.  As he neared them, he could see that they were making good progress in their ki blasts.

"You guys are doing pretty good.  How are ya feeling?" Ranma asked.

"I'm getting a little tired," Kasumi admitted.  Akane agreed.

"How are ya feeling from this morning's hike and the sparring ya did?  Nabiki's got a bit of a leg cramp," Ranma said as the three of them headed towards the tents.

Akane admitted that she was a little sore.  As they got closer, they saw that Nabiki had changed into some shorts and had tied her shirttails together so her midriff was showing.

"Ranma, I think I could go for that massage," Nabiki said.

"Okay, just lay on your sleeping bag, and I'll be right there.  I'll work on you next Acchan," he said, kissing her lightly.  Ranma walked over and knelt on the ground next to Nabiki and began massaging her calf, putting pressure on the knots he could feel.  Soon Nabiki began to moan in relief as the pain started to leave.  After a few more minutes, Ranma could feel that most of the knots were gone.  He stood up and walked over to his fiancée.  She had also changed into her shorts and a sports bra.

He whispered to her, "Hey, this isn't a competition, ya know?"

She blushed, and answered, "I know, it was just that I thought Nabiki looked pretty comfortable in shorts.

He asked, "Where are ya hurting?"

Akane replied, "My legs are a little stiff, and so is the back of my neck."  She laid down on her sleeping bag, while Ranma knelt down beside her.  He began to massage the back of her neck, loosening the knots that he felt there.  Soon, the tension left her neck and she relaxed.  He switched to her legs.

"Man, you're all knotted up down here.  What tensed ya up?" he asked.

Akane said, "I got a little jealous when you were with Nabiki.  Don't get me wrong, I trust you.  She's still the same devious person she's always been, though."

"Don't worry, dear.  You're stuck with me.  Finally, that did it," he said, as he felt the knots disappear under his ministrations.  He leaned over and kissed the back of her neck.  She rolled over and pulled him to her and kissed him passionately.  After a long time, he pulled away and smiled.  Then he asked, "Feeling better now, Acchan?"

She grinned wickedly, and said, throatily, "Now I do, Ranchan."

He gazed fondly at her and then got up.  "Let me go check on Kasumi, while you get some water for the rice.  It's about time to start dinner," he said.

They got up out of the tent, Akane walking down to the lake with a big pot, and Ranma walking over to Kasumi.  She too had taken the opportunity to change into some shorts.  "Hi, Kasumi-chan.  How are you doing, no aches or pains, or anything?" he asked politely.

"No, I'm fine, Ranchan.  I thought I would start cooking, could you get a fire going for me, so we can have a good bed of coals," Kasumi asked.  Ranma smiled at her, and lit the fire, feeding it carefully with small pieces of hardwoods until he had a nice fire that would burn down to a good bed of coals.  By that time, Akane had come back with water from the icy cold lake.  She put the pot next to the roaring fire on a bed of coals that Ranma prepared for her.

"Excellent.  Once the water boils and is purified, then we can use it to make the rice and soup," Kasumi said with a smile, "Akane, could you cut up the vegetables we'll need."  Ranma pitched in to help as well, while Nabiki watched.  Soon the dinner was ready and they sat down to eat the miso soup, the rice and some fish that Kasumi had pan-fried.

Once dinner was over and the dishes were washed, Ranma reminded everyone of the hot springs.  "If you are ready for a long soak, we can head on down to the springs," he said.  The women nodded enthusiastically, and went into their tents to get their soap, buckets and towels.  The four friends headed down the path to the hot springs, Ranma and Akane hand in hand.  The three women went to one of the pools, while Ranma went to the other.  He quickly stripped down, and using his soap and the water from the spring fed pool, washed off his body.  Then he slid into the water to soak, finding a convenient rock on which to sit.

He heard the three women giggling, and then Akane said, "Ranma, close your eyes, we decided to join you."

"Uh," he stammered, "Are you three sure about this?"  He could hear their voices approaching, so he spun around on his rock and closed his eyes.  As he waited, he heard them enter the water.

Kasumi said, "It's okay to look now, Ranchan."  Ranma opened his eyes and turned around.  There he saw the three girls sitting up to their necks in the hot water, the steam rising from the water obscuring any details.

"I don't wanna work any of ya too hard on this trip.  Ta be honest, it was really more ta be a vacation than anything else.  Biki-chan, we need ta work on your endurance.  The best thing for that is doing some running, or swimming.  The choice is yours, but that lake is pretty cold right now," Ranma said.

"I'm going to do some jogging in the morning like normal, Sis.  You could join me for that," Akane said.

Nabiki winced at the thought of joining Akane for her normal jog, but the thought of swimming in the lake didn't strike her as much fun either.  "Alright, Akane, the jogging it is, but you're going to have to take it easy on me," Nabiki said.

"Acchan, I mostly want ya ta practice your ki attacks.  Everything else we can do at home," Ranma said.

"What about me, Ranchan?" Kasumi asked, "What do you think I should work on?"

"It's pretty much up ta you, Kasumi-chan.  Ya could certainly work on the ki attacks with Akane and I could show ya some more advanced katas as well," Ranma said, "I'm done soaking, so if you would turn your backs, I think I'll get out now."

The three women politely turned their backs to him as he waded out of the water and wrapped his towel around him.  As he walked away, he heard Nabiki say, "Akane, you sure are lucky."

"Oh my, yes," Kasumi sighed.

"Shame on you two for peeking," Akane scolded.  Ranma walked away, blushing.

When Akane entered the tent she was sharing with Ranma, she saw that her fiancé had changed and was sitting in her sleeping bag, waiting for her.  Akane pouted for a few seconds and said, "I was hoping to kiss my boyfriend goodnight."

Ranma shrugged her shoulders and said, "Sorry, Acchan, I wasn't thinking I guess.  I just got ready for bed like always."

Akane sighed, changed into her pajamas and crawled into her half of the sleeping bag.  She leaned over and kissed Ranma, and said, "Goodnight, dear."  She snuggled up to Ranma's back and put her arms around her.

Ranma smiled contentedly, feeling the warmth of her fiancée's body.  "Goodnight, Acchan," she said.  Soon the two of them were fast asleep.

The next morning, Ranma and Akane were awakened to the smell of Kasumi cooking breakfast.  Akane said, dejectedly, "I overslept.  I was supposed to help her this morning."

Ranma groaned.  Then she said, "Sorry, Acchan, You're actually getting to be pretty good.  That was just a reflex."

Akane mock glared at her, and then started changing into her jogging shorts and sports bra.  She crawled out of the tent and went over to wake up Nabiki.  "Rise and shine, sleepy head.  You need to get moving if we're going to jog before breakfast," she said, laughing at her sister.

Nabiki opened one eye at her and growled, "Go away.  I'm not leaving from this spot until I've had some tea."

Akane called over to Ranma, saying, "Biki-chan here doesn't want to go jogging.  Should I throw her in the lake instead?"

"Nah, this is supposed ta be a vacation.  Why doncha wait until after breakfast when sleeping beauty will be ready to go?" Ranma said, with a smile.  She walked over to the fire, where Kasumi had some hot water, and poured it on her head.  He toweled himself dry, and then helped Kasumi dish out breakfast.

The week went by extremely fast.  While they spent several hours each day practicing martial arts, they also allowed plenty of time for relaxation.  Nabiki slowly built up her endurance; between the jogging she was doing and the katas that Ranma had her perform.  Akane and Kasumi got proficient at their ki blasts.

One afternoon, Ranma took the three women over to the tree where their parents' initials were carved.  The three women put their arms around each other and stared at the tree, remembering what it was like back then in silence.  Ranma slowly drifted away, allowing them their privacy.  When they rejoined him at the campsite, all three of them came over to him and kissed him thoroughly.  At his puzzled expression, Nabiki said, "That was for being so thoughtful.  We needed that time to be together and remember our family and what it was like before.  Thanks for giving us that opportunity."

Thursday night, Tofu came walking down the trail to their campsite.  After dropping off his backpack, the first thing he did was hug his wife.  Then he kissed her for a long time.  Kasumi pulled back, and said, in a husky voice, "I think someone must have missed me this week."  After letting his wife go, Tofu pitched his tent a little ways away from the other two, and moved Kasumi's things into it.  Then they took a long walk into the woods.

Once they came back, they found that Ranma and Akane had dinner waiting for them.  After the dinner was over and the dishes were cleaned up, the five of them headed for the hot springs to soak.  Tofu and Kasumi went to the one pool, while Ranma waited up the path for Akane and Nabiki to rinse off and then enter the other pool.  They turned their backs and waited for Ranma to rinse off and join them.

Nabiki said, "Ranma, I want to thank you for allowing me to join you on the trip.  I've actually learned several things this week that I needed to know."

"Like what, Nabiki?" Ranma asked.

"That I don't have to be the Ice Queen anymore, at least around my family.  I still have my reputation at school to consider," she said, "I had pushed Akane and Kasumi away, by accident.  Watching the three of you showed me what I was missing, and this week allowed me to regain the bond that I used to have with them."

"I'm glad I'm getting my sister back, Nabiki," Akane said.  They sat there in silence for several minutes, soaking in the hot water.

"I'm proud of ya, Nabiki.  You've really gotten the basics down pretty good, now.  When we get back, maybe we can start ya on some more advanced techniques," Ranma said.

Nabiki replied, "Thanks, Ranma, I'd like that.  If I can manage to wake up soon enough, I may try to join Akane on her morning jog, as well."

"That would be great, Nabiki.  I've enjoyed the company this week," Akane said.

Nabiki said, "Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone.  If I soak anymore, I'll turn into a prune."  She stood up, shocking Ranma, who quickly closed his eyes.  She laughed as she walked toward the bank, and toweled herself off.  She put her clothes on and walked back toward the camp.

Just before she left, she heard Ranma say, "You're not bad yourself, Biki-chan.  Some guy is gonna be real lucky one day."  She blushed with pleasure as she walked out of sight.

"Ranchan, you weren't supposed to look," Akane teased.

"Hey, I'm engaged, not dead.  Besides, I closed my eyes as soon as I could.  I like your body better anyway," he said, with a smile.

She moved closer to him and growled, "Good answer, Ranma."  She reached out for his hand and held it.  His smile grew even bigger.  Then Akane said, "I want my boyfriend with me tonight, Ranma."  He turned to look at her, startled.

"No, I don't mean that.  I want to wait until we're married.  That doesn't mean we can't cuddle for a while, though," Akane said.

"Uh, if you're sure, Acchan," he stammered, "I'd like ta cuddle with ya this way."

Akane smiled and then waded out of the pool, moving her hips seductively.  Ranma groaned at her.  He watched mesmerized as she toweled off and got dressed.  She turned and said, "What are you waiting for, baka?"  She giggled seeing the expression on his face.  He growled at her, and waded out of the water.  He toweled off and got dressed.  She ran toward the tent, laughing as he chased her.  By the time Ranma got to the tent, she had changed into her pajamas and crawled into the sleeping bag.  Ranma stripped down to his boxers and undershirt and joined her.

Akane held her fiancé and kissed him hungrily.  Ranma reached out and held the love of his life close to him.  He could feel her body where she pressed up against him.  Suddenly, Akane growled, and rolled Ranma over onto his back and straddled him.  She pulled one of his hands and placed it on her breast.  He froze for a second and then he brought his other hand up to the other breast and slowly began to caress them gently through her pajama top.  Her nipples came erect under his hands.  She leaned forward and kissed him, parting her lips, her tongue darting forward.

Akane began to unbutton her top, when suddenly they heard some moaning.  Akane's eyes grew wide and she began to laugh.  Ranma said, "I don't remember Kasumi doing that on the last trip.  They must have really missed each other this week."  Akane blushed as she realized what she had been thinking a moment before.  She rolled off of Ranma.

"Ranma, I'm sorry.  I got carried away," Akane said.

Ranma rolled over onto his side and held out his arms.  She fell into his arms gladly and embraced him.  They began kissing again, this time trying to stay in control.  Finally, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning Ranma and Akane got up and began preparing breakfast.  The food was nearly ready when the other three made their appearances.  Kasumi had a visible glow about her, Nabiki was her normal morning grouch and Tofu had a look of a man immensely pleased with himself.  After breakfast was over, Akane and Nabiki took off for their morning jog, both of them wearing their jogging shorts and a sports bra.  Tofu and Kasumi wandered off again, leaving Ranma to clean up the breakfast dishes.  Once he was done with that, he began working on a particularly complicated kata that he wanted to teach Akane.  He thought to himself, 'When she learns this form, she will look so graceful.'

Akane and Nabiki came back from their jogging, the sweat glistening on their bodies.  They stopped in awe as they watched Ranma performing a kata that they had never seen before.  He was oblivious to their presence as he concentrated on perfecting his moves.  Nabiki eyed the finally chiseled body moving in front of her, the muscles rippling across his bare chest as he moved.  Akane's eyes narrowed and she said, quietly, "Remember, Sis, he's mine.  And nobody, but nobody, is getting between us."

Nabiki blushed and said, "He is handsome, Akane.  I can't help noticing.  I still love him; I can't change that.  You can't expect me to stop loving him overnight."

Akane sighed as she said, "I know, Nabiki, I expect I'd feel the same way if our roles were reversed.  This is going to be difficult for both of us, I know, but you're strong enough to get through it."

Finally, Ranma finished his exercise.  As he awoke from his reverie and became aware of his surroundings, he saw Akane and Nabiki, both of their faces flushed.  He gazed at Akane, thinking that he had never seen her so desirable.  His face heated up as he discovered that he was becoming aroused looking at her.  Without thinking, he ran and dove into the icy cold waters of the lake.  Once Ranma felt the change, she waded back out of the lake, sluicing the water of her body.  She walked back to the campsite, and grabbed a towel to dry off.

Akane said, "Ranma, did you forget something?  You really have no modesty, do you?"

Ranma glanced down at her bare chest and blushed.  She blushed even deeper as she realized her nipples were erect and that she was feeling strangely warm.  She thought, 'Well, the cold water obviously didn't work, this time.'  She quickly rearranged her towel so it covered her.  "Sorry, Acchan.  I wasn't thinking, I guess.  We're all girls here though, so it doesn't matter, does it?" she replied.

Nabiki smirked at her and said, "What's the matter, Ranma?  Did something come up, suddenly?  You sure ran off in a hurry."  Ranma walked over to her tent and pulled her shirt on.

She walked back over and said, "Acchan, I wancha ta try ta do that kata.  I'll show ya, move by move in slow motion and I wancha ta follow me."  She got in her stance and made the first step.  Akane copied her and to Ranma's surprise, so did Nabiki.

Ranma walked them both through the steps, correcting each of them when they did something wrong.  She ran them through it a couple of more times at the slower speed until they had it down perfectly.  Then the three of them began to perform the kata faster.  Finally, they ran it at the speed at which Ranma wanted them to perform.  Ranma stopped and watched the two women, moving gracefully together.  Her heart began to race as she realized how graceful and sexy her love looked.  She joined in the exercise and finished it with them.  At the end, they stopped, exhilarated by their performance.  The three of them joined in a quick hug, Ranma kissing Akane.  Ranma got some hot water and changed.

Soon Tofu and Kasumi came back from their walk in the woods.  The five of them ate a quick lunch, and packed.  They made their way back to the small village and caught the next train to Nerima.

Author's Note:  This chapter is longer.  It kind of makes up for the brevity of the preceding chapter, plus there wasn't a real good place to break it.

Hopefully this chapter is a bit more descriptive than the last as well.  Enjoy!

Reposted to fix one typo.  Thanks Doctor Emmit Brown.  I do know the difference; I thought I had caught all of them, stupid word processor.


	31. Kuno Gets a Message

Author's Note: Lime Warning

Chapter 31 Kuno Gets a Message

April had come, so the new school year had started.  On their first day of class, Ranma and Akane walked hand-in-hand into their classroom.  Their classmates had gotten used to that sight by now. They weren't expecting the Four Horsemen of the Christian Apocalypse to ride through the schoolyard anymore.  Stars weren't falling from the sky, the sun was still rising in the east, no natural disasters were happening.

As they made their way to their respective desks, Ranma was glad to see that Ukyo was sitting at her desk.  She smiled at him, a little wanly, her beautiful face a bit sad, but the pain that he was afraid that he was going to see was missing.  'Thank you, Ryoga.  I don't know what ya said ta her, but I owe ya one,' he thought.  Ryoga was sitting next to Ukyo, watching her intently.

As Akane sat down, a stray ray of sunlight came through the window and caught on one of the facets of her ring, causing the ring to glow.  Yuki saw it and squealed in excitement.  "Akane, what's that?" she said, pointing.

"Nothing much," Akane deadpanned, "Just my engagement ring."  All of the girls, except for Ukyo of course, rushed to her desk.  Everyone oohed and ahed in amazement and wonder.  The guys started to approach Ranma but when they saw the stormy look on his face, they all scattered to their desks, wisely deciding that he wasn't in the mood for being teased.  Finally, the sensei walked into the room and called it to order.  Ranma and Akane refused the notes their friends tried to pass them.

At lunch, Ranma and Akane snuck off for some privacy.  He had picked her up and bounded out to the windowsill of their classroom and then up to the roof of the school.  There they sat down to enjoy their bentos.  Ranma opened his and looked at it suspiciously.  Feeling his fiancées gaze upon him, he closed his eyes and ate the first bite.  He opened his eyes in surprise and said, "Acchan, this tastes really good.  It looks a bit odd, but that's okay."  She sighed in relief, and then bristled slightly.  Ranma quickly finished the rest of his lunch and smiled at his lovely fiancée.  "Akane, it's all good.  You did a good job," he said warmly.  He leaned over and kissed her.  Suddenly, she felt so much better.

"Ranma," she said hesitantly, "now that we're engaged, there's one or two things that we need to change."  Ranma gulped.

"About your speech habits.  Do you really want to sound like a dumb jock the rest of your life?" she said sweetly, hitting him with her most winsome look.

Ranma stared back at her, like a pole axed ox and said, "No, dear, whatever you want."

"Promise me you'll try to use proper grammar.  I know you can do it," she said, batting her eyes at him.

"Sure, Acchan," Ranma said, and then he added with a smirk, "You're right, though, I do need ta learn ta talk, er I mean, to speak correctly."

'Well, that went easier than I thought it would,' Akane thought to herself.

"I'm getting tired of sounding like Pop, anyway," Ranma continued, "He's definitely the dumb martial artist in person.  That's not a good role model.  It'll take a while, but I do need ta, sorry, to change my speech if I want to impress people when we start to really teach.  You'll need to help, dear."

She leaned over and kissed him.  "It's a deal," she said, "I'll just glare at you if you backslide."

The bell signaling the end of the lunch period sounded, so Ranma picked Akane up and jumped to the next level down.  From there he jumped to the top of one of the covered entryways and then down to the ground.  He was about to set her down, when they were interrupted by Kuno's voice.  "Hold, varlet, unhand the fair Akane Tendo.  A vile rumor has reached my ear.  I, Tatewaki Kuno, upperclassman, the Rising Star of Furinkan High, the undefeated champion, also known as the Blue Thunder, forbid this engagement.  I will soundly thrash you, Saotome, and free the fair Akane from your sorcerous grasp."

"Right, Kuno.  You and what army?" Ranma smirked as he swung Akane down to the ground.  Akane was glowing bright red she was so furious.  Kuno charged Ranma, swinging his katana blade, attempting to cut Ranma down where he stood.  Ranma dodged but the blade caught his arm, cutting it deeply.  Before Ranma could do anything, Akane fired a ki blast with all of the energy she had gathered to protect the man she loved.  The blast hit Kuno dead on in his chest and knocked him into a nearby tree hard enough to drop the tree on top of him.

Akane stormed over to Kuno and screamed at the semi-conscious Kuno, "You don't tell me who I can date, much less who I can marry!!! What I do with my life is none of your business, you samurai-wanna-be.  The next time you pull a stunt like this, I won't hold back!"  Kuno stared at her, his eyes beginning to glaze over, and then he passed out from the pain.  With that, she claimed his sword, stormed back and grabbed Ranma by his good arm and dragged him off towards Tofu's clinic.

A total silence fell.  One of the braver students finally walked over to Kuno and checked on him.  He said, "We'd better get the nurse.  He's out cold, fortunately.  He's got a broken arm for sure."

Akane burst through the door of her brother-in-law's clinic.  Tofu looked up startled and then sprang into action.  He quickly disinfected the wound and stitched it up with several very neat strokes.  "What caused this, Akane?  It looks like he was cut by that sword blade," he asked.

"That's what it was, all right.  That baka Kuno attacked Ranma with this katana blade.  Ranma didn't dodge quickly enough, because I took too long to get out of his arms.  I want to call the police and press assault charges.  I'm tired of this," she said, angrily, "I may have really hurt Kuno when I hit him.  He needs to be stopped before I do something I'll regret."

Tofu called the local precinct office and spoke briefly to someone there.  He came back and said, "They'll send someone over here to take your statement, Akane.  They already have an officer going over to the school.  Kuno is already at the hospital.  I'm afraid you broke his arm, and he may have a cracked rib or two as well, according to the desk officer."

Akane stared at him in shock.  Ranma winced as he put arms around her and hugged her.  "Acchan, it's not your fault.  You were trying to protect me.  I just thought that after all the work we did last week, you would've been more in control," he said gently as she began to cry on his shoulder.

"I know, Ranchan, I should have kept it under control.  But when I saw all that blood coming out of your arm, I got so angry with Kuno.  I just lost it, I'm sorry," she said, sobbing.

"It's all right, dear.  You may have overreacted a bit, is all.  Remember what I said about staying in control of your emotions," Ranma replied, chiding her gently, "I think this lesson will teach you that.  I'm just sorry it had to happen this way."

"Ranma, you need to take it easy.  Once the officer is done with you, both of you need to go home.  You need some rest.  You did lose a lot of blood," Tofu said.

A middle-aged officer walked into the clinic.  He asked, "Is there an Akane Tendo here?"

Akane lifted her head from Ranma's shoulder and said, "Here."  The officer looked aghast at the bloody katana blade that Akane had dropped on the floor.  Akane related what had happened, with Ranma and Tofu adding comments as appropriate.  The officer took down the statements from all three of them, and took photographs of the damage to Ranma's arm.  He then carefully collected the katana blade.

Ranma said, "When your done with that katana blade, I believe it belongs to us now."

"I understand, sir.  I'll need your shirt as evidence as well, Mr. Saotome," the officer said politely.  Tofu helped him pull it off and then Ranma handed it to the officer.  After taking Akane's fingerprints, he said, "Miss Tendo, I suggest you go home.  You look pretty shaken yourself."  He handed her his business card and then bowed.  He then turned and left the clinic.

Tofu said, "Call me when you get home, you two.  If you need me for anything, I'll close up early."

Akane helped Ranma off the exam table and then, with one arm around his waist, helped him walk home.  "Thanks, Acchan.  I am a bit woozy," Ranma said, a little groggily.  By the time Akane had gotten Ranma to their home, he was feeling a bit better.

As they entered the house, Kasumi greeted them.  She looked at the shirtless Ranma and saw the stitches in his arm.  Then she frowned when she noticed his pale color and said, "Tofu called to let me know what had happened.  Let's get him into bed where he can warm up.  I've got some broth cooking in the kitchen to help with the blood loss."  Akane helped Ranma get up the stairs to his room and into his futon.  She crawled in with him and held her fiancé in her arms.  Kasumi entered the room, carrying two bowls of broth.

Akane helped him sit up while Kasumi fed him.  After finishing the first bowl, and nearly the second, Ranma said, rustily, "Enough, Kasumi-chan.  Believe it or not, that bottomless pit I call a stomach is full."  His color was back to near normal, and he grinned at her weakly.  Kasumi sighed in relief that he was bouncing back from what could have been a serious injury.  Ranma leaned forward and kissed her lightly, and then turned and kissed Akane.  "Thanks for worrying about me, Kasumi-chan.  You too, Acchan.  Between the two of you though, I'm in good hands," he said.

"You need to get a little sleep, Ranchan.  That will help you heal quicker as well," Kasumi said, "I'll make sure no one disturbs you."

"Don't worry, Sis.  I'll take care of him," Akane said.  The two girls left the room, Akane going to her room and Kasumi going back to the kitchen with the bowls.  Ranma was just starting to get comfortable, when Akane came back in.  She had changed out of her school uniform and was carrying her pillow.  She climbed into the futon next to him, blushing as she realized he was just wearing his boxers and t-shirt.

"Acchan, not that I mind, but what are you doing?" Ranma asked in surprise.

"Like I told Kasumi, I'm taking care of you," Akane replied.  Ranma thought about that for second and then smiled.  Akane snuggled up to his back.  "Now, you just close your eyes and try to get some rest, Ranchan," she ordered.

"Acchan, thanks for helping today.  I could have beaten him, even with this arm, but I would have lost a lot more blood," he said sleepily.

She smiled happily and said, "I'm going to be your partner, Ranchan.  That means I'll guard your back, just like you'll guard mine."  She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of his breathing as he drifted off to sleep.

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As Gemna Saotome began sweeping the step in front of the Ono Clinic, he began to feel nervous.  Someone was watching him, he was sure of it.  Frantically staring into the surrounding area, he didn't see anything, but he knew someone was out there.  Finally, a tall, slender man, with long, black hair came into view.  He asked, politely, "Excuse me, but are you Gemna Saotome?"

Gemna asked, rudely, "Who wants ta know?"

"I'm sorry, my name is Mousse.  We have an acquaintance or two in common, and they suggested that I look you up," Mousse said.

"Who are they and why would they suggest that?" Gemna asked, nervously.

"I believe you call her Shampoo, and as to why she suggested I meet you, you'll have to ask her.  However, I would have found you soon enough anyway," Mousse replied.  As he spoke, he jumped back, chains coming out of his robes to entangle Gemna as he tried to run away.  Several blunt weapons then began coming out of the robes, each one hitting Gemna in one sensitive spot or another.  Gemna let out a roar and tried to charge Mousse, but the chains had tied his legs together, so he fell forward and hit his head, knocking him out.  Unfortunately for him, that didn't save him from being pummeled severely by the remaining weapons that Mousse had already thrown in reaction.  After checking Gemna out, and realizing that he would be unconscious for several hours, Mousse replaced his weapons into his robes, and hoisted the bruised and battered body onto his shoulder.  He carried him into the clinic and called out, "Hello, is there anyone here?"

Tofu walked out, drying his hands with a towel, "Oh, what happened to Mr. Saotome?"

"My name is Mousse.  I'm afraid that I happened to him.  I needed an outlet for some of my aggression and he provided a convenient punching bag.  Where do you want him?" Mousse replied.

Tofu led him to an examination room, and Mousse dumped Gemna onto the table.  "I'm afraid he might have a mild concussion, Doctor," Mousse said.  He bowed politely and left.

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Sometime later, Ranma began to stir.  He glanced at the alarm clock and saw that it was nearly 4:00.  He began to move, but Akane's arms pulled him back against her body.  He blushed as he realized what was pressing against his back.  He slowly rolled over to look at his fiancée.  She opened her eyes and pulled him into a passionate kiss, crushing him against her, the thin material of her blouse allowing him to feel her nipples against his chest.  He slid his hands under the back of her blouse, the touch of his hands against her bare skin electrifying.  She moaned in pleasure as he switched to kissing her neck.  Akane hesitated, and then slowly began unbuttoning her blouse, allowing it to gape open.  Ranma looked into her eyes and saw the permission there.  He began to slowly kiss the hollow between her breasts and then to plant little butterfly kisses on her exposed flesh.  As one of his hands slid around to cup her breast, she began to shiver.

She started to run her hands over his chest, and then pulled his undershirt off over his head, allowing her to caress his strong chest.  He crushed her to his body and they began kissing passionately.  The feel of her nipples against his chest was beginning to drive him wild.  They were beginning to get lost in their passion, when from the doorway they heard Kasumi say, "Oh my!  I guess Ranma is feeling much better!"

Ranma jumped away from Akane and she turned and glared at her sister, almost with a feeling of rage.  "Sorry, you two lovebirds, but if someone else saw this you'd be getting married tomorrow," Kasumi said, frowning slightly at them.

Akane lay there panting, trying to catch her breath.  Then she smiled and said, "I don't think I would mind that, really."  She pulled her blouse closed, but left it unbuttoned.

Ranma lay there stunned at what had almost happened.  "I'm not sure I want to wait even that long, Kasumi-chan," he said.

Kasumi giggled, and then said, "I think that's just the hormones talking you two." Then she frowned, and added, "The reason I came up is that Tofu called.  Apparently today is the day to beat up on Saotomes.  A young man wearing white robes with long black hair attacked your father.  The young man said his name was Mousse, when he dragged your father back to the clinic.  He was beaten pretty badly, but there's no permanent damage.  Tofu said not to come over, that he'd bring your father home when he regains consciousness."

"Mousse, that's the name of the guy that is chasing Shampoo.  She said she saw him at Ucchans, but she said she made it clear that she wasn't interested in him," Ranma said, as he sat up.  "I wonder if it counted as a formal challenge for her hand," he mused.

"Wouldn't he have to fight her next, Ranchan?" Akane asked.

"As I understand the tribal laws, yes.  First he has to fight and beat her Airen in a formal challenge for her hand, and then he has to beat Shampoo in a formal challenge as well.  There's a set formula for the challenges as well.  We need to talk to Shampoo when she gets home tonight.  Of course, he might have wanted to beat up on Pop just on general principles," Ranma said, with a smirk.  Then he looked at Kasumi and said, "Since I doubt you're gonna let us continue with what we were doing, I guess I'll get dressed and watch some television.  Acchan, you'll have to teach the training sessions with Kasumi and Nabiki until Tofu takes the stitches out.  I'll watch and then we can compare notes at night.  Besides, that way you can take some of your frustrations out on Kasumi for interrupting us."  Akane began giggling at the look of horror Kasumi gave her.  Ranma reached around for his pants and put them on, and then stood up.  "Maybe I'll have a cold shower first," he continued as he walked awkwardly out of the room.


	32. A Talk at Ucchan's

Chapter 32 A Talk at Ucchan's

Ryoga looked up from where he was washing dishes when Shampoo walked into the kitchen at Ucchan's.  He said, "Hi Shampoo.  How was the rest of school today?  I got lost going to lunch, and somehow ended up here."

"Nihao, Ryoga.  It was interesting.  Everyone found out about Ranma and Akane getting engaged.  That idiot Kuno didn't want to believe it, so he attacked Ranma with a real sword and cut him pretty good.  Akane didn't like that one bit, so she hit with a ki blast that did some pretty good damage.  Kuno's in the hospital with a broken arm and a couple of cracked ribs," Shampoo replied.

Ryoga snickered and said, "Serves that baka right.  Is Ranma okay?"

Shampoo replied, "Yeah, Tofu stitched him up and set him home to rest."

Ryoga hesitated, took a deep breath, and asked, "Shampoo, I don't have a chance with you, do I?"

Shampoo stared at the floor for a while and answered, "Ryoga, I like ya.  I think of ya as a friend, but that's it.  I just don't know any way ta say it.  I'll never be more that a friend."  She was surprised when his countenance lit up.  "Hey, I thought you'd be depressed when I told ya that, not happy," Shampoo protested.

"I'm just glad you're being honest with me, Shampoo.  I needed to hear that from you," Ryoga said as he walked over and kissed her.

"Aiyee, what did ya do that for?" Shampoo sputtered in shock.

Ryoga said cheerfully, "I just wanted to kiss you once before I let you go.  I'll see you later."  He walked into the main room to find Ukyo.  Shampoo watched him go, satisfaction in her eyes.

"Hi, sugar.  Did Shampoo tell you about Kuno attacking Ranma?" Ukyo asked.

Ryoga replied, "Yeah, she did.  Stupid Kuno, doesn't he ever learn?"

"Apparently not.  I thought the two of us could go check on him and then maybe catch a movie," Ukyo said, blushing slightly.

Ryoga's eyes lit up and he said, "That sounds like fun, Ucchan.  I haven't been to a movie in a long time.  When do you want to go?"

"I thought we could close up around six, and head on over there.  That way they'll be done with dinner.  Shampoo is going to leave early so she can be there for dinner," Ukyo replied.

Ryoga continued working in the kitchen, trying not to watch the clock.  Finally, it reached six and Ukyo walked outside and took her sign down.  Ryoga walked into his room and changed his clothing.  He put on his best pair of slacks and a nice dress shirt.  He wanted to look nice for his first real date with Ukyo.  He went into the main room and waited impatiently for Ukyo to come back down.  Finally, she came back downstairs, wearing a short skirt and a tight blouse.  He stared at her and said, "You look wonderful, Ucchan."  She smiled as she took his hand and led him to the Tendo home.

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Tofu cleared his throat after they finished eating dinner, and said, "Akane, could I talk to you."  She looked up startled, and then nodded.  "Why don't we walk outside for a few minutes?" he continued.  They walked off and once they got far enough away for some privacy, he said, "Kasumi talked to me when I got home, about what she walked in on.  You two are only seventeen.  While you think it may be early, you need to make a decision soon.  Eventually, you and Ranma may want to get intimate, so you need to take a few precautions."

Akane began blushing, and said, "We're planning on waiting until we're married before that happens."

"I'm glad to hear that, Akane, but sometimes passions run high, and things happen.  You may not plan on it happening, but it can," Tofu said.

Akane looked down at the ground.  Then she sighed and said, "I guess you're talking about some sort of birth control, right?"  She thought to herself, 'He's right.  If Kasumi hadn't walked in on us, who knows how far we would have gone.'

"Yes, there's a old joke about that.  What do they call people who don't use birth control?" he said.  He waited a few seconds and then said the punch line, "They're called parents.  You just need to decide what method you want to use.  Come by the clinic tomorrow, and I can give you some pamphlets to help you decide."

Akane just nodded, too embarrassed to say anything.  Fortunately for Akane, at that moment, Ukyo and Ryoga walked into the yard.  She had never been so happy to see someone in all her life.

As Ukyo and Ryoga entered through the gate into the front yard of the Tendo home, they saw Tofu talking to Akane.  Akane's face was red, with embarrassment.  Ukyo wondered what they could have been talking about.

Ryoga called, "Hi, Akane, Dr. Ono.  Where's Ranma?  We thought we'd come by to see how he was doing."

"That's awfully nice of you.  He's probably still in the dining room.  Ukyo, you sure look nice," Akane said.  She had noticed that they were holding hands as they walked in.  "Are you two going out on a date, or something?"

Ukyo smiled shyly, and said, "Yes, we are.  We're on our way to catch a movie.  Hey, do you and Ranma want to come?"

"We can ask him, I guess," Akane answered as they walked into the house.

"Hey, sugar, how'd you let Kuno get you?" Ukyo teased.

"Oh man," Ranma said, "I had my arms full and I didn't move quick enough.  He just got lucky is all.  Akane took care of him before I had a chance."

Ryoga said, "How're you feeling, Ranma?  You don't look too bad."

"Oh, I'm fine.  Kasumi and Akane took good care of me this afternoon.  In fact, my biggest problem right now is boredom.  I can't do any exercises until Tofu takes out my stitches," Ranma replied.

"Ukyo and Ryoga are going to the movies.  They invited us to come with them," Akane said.

"Sure, that's a great idea.  It's been a while since we've had a chance to go to one," Ranma said, "Go let Kasumi know she's off the hook for tonight's training session and then we can go." Akane left to find Kasumi, giggling.

"What was that all about, sugar?" Ukyo asked.

"Oh, nothing.  Just a private joke," Ranma said, laughing.

Akane came back from the kitchen, her face red, still giggling.  She finally got herself under control enough to say, "Ranchan, you should have seen the look of relief that was on her face.  She must have really been worried.  Of course, she did have one or two comments."

"Well, you did look really angry with her this afternoon, Acchan," Ranma replied.

"We'd better go," Akane said as she grabbed his hand.  The two couples headed toward the movie theater.  Once they reached it, they bought the tickets for the show they head selected.  After making a stop at the concession stand, and getting drinks and popcorn, they made their way to the correct theater.  They found four seats together and sat down to enjoy the show, with the two girls in the middle.  Akane soon found herself leaning against Ranma, with his arm around her.

Ukyo looked over at Akane and saw her snuggled up to Ranma.  She felt a small twinge of jealousy which she beat down, telling herself, 'Ranma belongs to her, now.  Besides you're here with Ryo-chan, sugar.'  She snuggled up next to Ryoga and felt contentment as he put his arm around her and pulled her close.  As she watched the trailers for the upcoming movies, she thought about how her life had changed.  While she knew that she would always care for Ranma, she had to admit to herself that she had grown increasingly fond of Ryoga.  She was content to let the relationship go at its own pace.  The wound to her heart that she had received from Ranma's rejection of her love had healed but it was still tender.  She didn't want to run the risk of having her heart broken again.

Ryoga looked down at the gorgeous girl, no the gorgeous young woman snuggled up next to him and felt his heart jump as she smiled up at him.  He gazed at her oh so kissable lips and leaned down and kissed them, not caring who saw them.  As they parted, he heard a sigh of contentment escape from her.  As the movie began, he reluctantly tore his eyes aware from gazing at her face and turned to watch the screen.

Ranma watched Ryoga and Ukyo out of the corner of his eye.  He was glad to see that Ukyo appeared to like Ryoga.  Even though their initial reunion had been difficult, with the insistence of Shampoo and Akane, he and Ryoga had managed to patch up their relationship.  He thought to himself, 'Ucchan deserves happiness.  I hope Ryoga can provide her some.  She can certainly do a lot worse than falling in love with him.'

After the movie was over, the two couples separated, Ukyo and Ryoga heading back toward Ucchan's and Ranma and Akane going home.  Ranma and Akane walked slowly home, savoring the peacefulness around them.  Akane said, finally, "It looks like Ryoga and Ukyo are becoming an item.  I think that's pretty neat."

Ranma smiled and replied, "From the amount of time they spent kissing in there, I think you're probably right.  They spent less time watching the movie than you and I did."

Akane blushed and said, "Hey, I didn't see you objecting any.  Besides you kissed me just as often as I kissed you."

He teased, "Oh, you're keeping score now, are you?"  She laughed as they entered the home.  The rest of the household was already asleep, so they quietly got ready for bed themselves.  Ranma kissed Akane as she went into her bedroom to change.  Ranma got some cold water and changed forms.  After she dried herself off, she headed upstairs to her room and got ready for bed.  As usual, Akane joined her in her room and they cuddled together on the futon.  Soon, the two of them were asleep.

Late that night, outside of the Tendo home, a shadowy figure jumped over the wall separating the street from the Tendo property.  As the figure approached the house, the full moon came out from behind the clouds that it had been cowering behind to reveal the Black Rose of St. Hebereke High School, Kodachi Kuno, dressed in her skintight green leotard.  She was muttering to herself, saying, "First that trollop has the audacity to proclaim herself the fiancée of my Ranma darling and then to brutally attack Brother dear.  Of course, he deserved it for hitting Ranma darling with his sword.  I will have my vengeance, Akane Tendo.  And when I am done, Ranma darling will declare his love for me and take me to new heights of passion!"  She laughed her manic laugh and then jumped to Akane's windowsill.  She opened the window and then sprang to attack the figure sleeping in the bed. She let out her evil laugh again as her ribbons wrapped around the figure.  She moved closer to gloat before maiming her rival only to freeze when she saw that she had attacked a stuffed pig.

"She's not here!" Kodachi said in anguish." Where can she be!  No matter, I'll check on Ranma darling and take him away from this prison."  She crept silently down the hallway to the guest room and slowly opened the door.  In the dim moonlight coming in through the windows, she saw three figures sleeping, two of them near each other and the other one by itself.  She walked over to that figure, only to recoil as it rolled over to reveal that it was a giant panda.  'Why would they allow their pet to sleep in the guest room,' Kodachi wondered to herself, 'Peasants!'  The other two figures were obviously female.  One was her beloved's mother and the other was that Chinese bimbo.

Kodachi cursed and left the guest room.  'Maybe he's in the dojo,' she thought.  Then she heard a noise from above her.  Suddenly she recalled what her faithful ninja Sasuke had told her.  She crept up the stairs to the small attic room, ready to spirit her beloved away.

As she slowly opened the door to the room, she gasped to see Akane Tendo sleeping in the same futon as her Ranma.  She was holding him tightly in an embrace.  Suddenly seeing red, and intending on gaining her revenge, she started forward to attack Akane.

Her Ranma darling rolled over onto his back, thrusting two large mounds into the air and suddenly Kodachi realized that this was not Ranma.  This was the pigtailed girl of her brother's dreams.  She began laughing uncontrollably as she realized that both of her brother's loves were in bed together.  'Another one of her brother's dreams, except he's not here to join them,' she thought.

As she slowly regained control, she suddenly realized her danger.  The Tendo slattern had sat up and was glaring at her.  Akane said angrily, "What the hell are you doing here, Kodachi?  Didn't what happened to your brother teach you anything?"

"How can you lay there in the arms of another woman and say that you are worthy to be the fiancée of my Ranma darling!" Kodachi exclaimed.

The other figure sat up.  With a voice as cold as ice, she said, "Kodachi, I'm tired of this.  I'm not your Ranma darling.  I don't even like you.  I think you're disgusting and in serious need of help."

"What do you mean?  Of course you're not my Ranma darling.  You're a girl!" Kodachi said.

"That's right Kodachi.  I'm a girl, right now.  In the morning, though, I'll be the man you know as Ranma Saotome," Ranma replied.

"No, you lie!!" Kodachi said angrily as she attacked.  Ranma hit her with a small ki blast, knocking her out.  Akane quickly tied her up with her own ribbon.

"What are we going to do with her?" Akane asked, anxiously.

Ranma thought for a second and then smiled wickedly.  "What do you think the police would do if she started babbling about a guy who turns into a girl?" she asked with a smirk.

"Probably temporarily commit her, I would think," Nabiki responded from the doorway.  She continued, "That stupid bitch woke me up.  That sounds like an interesting idea.  How do plan on setting it up?"

"Watch and learn, Biki-chan, watch and learn," Ranma said with a smirk.

Kodachi woke up from her faint to see Ranma staring at her angrily.  He said to her, "Kodachi, you aren't welcome in this house.  Who I marry is none of your business.  I happen to love Akane.  She is my fiancée.  You on the other hand disgust me."  He picked up a glass of cold water.

"She's not worthy of your love.  I caught her sleeping with another woman," Kodachi screeched.

"That's not really what you saw, Kodachi," Ranma said, as he poured the cold water over his head.  Kodachi's eyes grew wide as she saw the red-haired pig-tailed girl now sitting in front of her.

"What kind of joke is this?  This can't be happening!" Kodachi protested.  Ranma picked up the cup of warm water, and poured it over her head.

"It's no joke, Kodachi.  I'm the same person.  I just change from girl to boy and back again," Ranma said.  He repeated the process several times.

Finally, Kodachi said, "Enough, Ranma.  I believe you.  I don't know how it happened or why, but I can't deny what I have seen.  However, I don't care.  I love you so it doesn't matter to me."

"As I told you, I don't even like you Kodachi.  If you believe anything other than that I am going to wed Akane Tendo, then you're suffering from delusions," Ranma said.  He excused himself and went into the bathroom.  As he returned, the police showed up in response to Nabiki's phone call.  Ranma went to meet them outside and said, "Thanks for coming.  I don't know what all Nabiki has told you.  Kodachi Kuno attacked my fiancée and me this evening.  She has this delusion that I love her.  When I rejected her, she became even more delusional.  Now she thinks I turn into a girl."

"Is she related to Tatewaki Kuno?" one of the officers asked.

Nabiki replied, "Yes, she is his sister, and she's crazier than he is."

"That's the guy that attacked you today, isn't it?" the officer asked.

Ranma replied, "Yes.  He's been stalking my fiancée and refused to take her seriously when she said no.  He attacked me with his sword, and she defended me."  As they walked in, they found Kodachi glaring at Akane.

Kodachi was speaking incoherently, she was so angry with Akane.  Finally, she regained control, and said, "Ranma darling, unless you come with me, I'll tell the whole world your secret."

"What secret would that be, Kodachi?" Ranma said sadly.

Kodachi laughed wickedly, and said, "That you turn into a girl when water is poured over you!"  Ranma shook his head sadly at that.

"You poor deluded girl," he said.  Akane brought him a glass of water, which he poured over his head.  Kodachi screamed, as Ranma didn't change.  "See what I mean, officers?  I'm afraid she's lost touch with reality.  I mean really, next she'll be saying people turn into animals when they get splashed with water."

Kodachi babbled as the officers took her away.  After they drove away, Nabiki returned to the living room and said, "Nicely done, Ranma.  I don't see how they can keep from committing her for a while.  Now that this is over with, I'm going back to sleep."  Nabiki left the two of them and headed off to bed.

Ranma looked at his fiancée, and said, "Akane, this is kinda the last straw.  This isn't going to stop until you and I are married.  After what nearly happened this afternoon, do you think we can last until the school break in August?"

Akane stood lost in thought, and said, "I think so.  So are you wanting to get married then?"

"At least in August, we would both nearly be eighteen.  While that's still young, it's not too young, anymore," Ranma said, "If that's okay with you, we need to talk to Mom tomorrow."

Akane said, "That's sounds good to me.  I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted.  After this afternoon, since you've got to stay in this body until the soap wears off, I think it would be safer if tonight we were in our own beds, is that okay with you?"

Ranma yawned and agreed.  He kissed her goodnight as they headed back to bed.

The next morning, Nodoka noticed the bandage on Ranma's arm while they were sitting around the table eating breakfast.  She asked, "Ranma, what happened to your arm?"

Ranma looked guiltily at his mother.  He had forgotten to tell his parents about the attack.  "Uh, Mom, that's the stitches Tofu put in my arm to close up the cut from Kuno's sword.  He took exception to our engagement.  Akane took care of him, though, he's in the hospital with a broken arm and two cracked ribs," Ranma said finally.

Nodoka grew angry.  "So that is how he honors his sworn word to leave the two of you alone.  Our clan will see to his demise," Nodoka snarled.  Ranma grew pale at the rage he saw on his mother's face.

Nabiki suggested, "Auntie, instead of calling out a blood feud against the Kuno clan, let us handle it.  Akane is already pressing assault charges against him.  Kodachi was here last night, and Ranma tricked her.  My sources say that she has already been committed.  I've already had Father charge her with breaking and entering and trespass, as well.  I'm planning on going after the family fortune.  Now, if you would like to help with that, I could use the assistance."

"Hmm," Nodoka mused, "That might be a better revenge anyway.  I can call on the clan to ensure that they don't escape justice.  And Kodachi really is crazy, so in a way this might even be seen as an honorable way to help her."  She continued thinking.  After several minutes, she smiled coldly and said, ice dripping from her voice, "Kuno however has insulted both our clans.  Our honor demands that he pay.  Since he is so lacking in honor that he would come between the engagement, I think it is fitting that we remove what little honor he has left."

Nabiki's eyes narrowed as she realized what Nodoka was suggesting, "Having him convicted of assault would destroy his honor, Auntie.  That's all that we need to do.  Once that happens, his own family will disown him to remove the shame."

Gemna had been sitting there in silence stewing on something.  Finally, he spouted off, "Oh the shame of it, that my weakling son had to be defended by a mere girl.  Have you no pride, Ranma?  How could my son sink so low?"

"What was that about a mere girl," Akane growled.

"Don't insult my fiancée like that Pop, we're going to be partners, after all!" Ranma said, angrily.

"Yeah, like a woman could ever be your equal, my boy," Gemna began to laugh, missing the ice forming next to him from the chill coming off his wife.

"Gemna, that's enough of your garbage about women being weaker," Nodoka said, icily, "There's no call for you to insult us all of the time.  Your sneering attitude is beginning to make me angry!"

"Yeah, Pop.  I agree with the women," Ranma began, only to be interrupted by his father.

"That's what I would expect from someone who's a woman at heart like you," Gemna said angrily.

"Pop, that's enough.  Every single woman at this table could beat you in a match, well, maybe not Nabiki, but even she'd make you hurt.  As for me, I've been kicking your lazy ass all over the yard since I was fifteen.  Turning into a girl didn't change that," Ranma growled.

"That's enough, Saotome.  I won't sit back and let you insult my wonderful daughters, Nodoka or Shampoo.  They are not weaker, just different," Soun said, surprising everyone, "If you can't keep your ill-founded opinions to yourself, then you can just leave!"

The remainder of the dinner passed in silence as everyone glared at Gemna.  At the end of the dinner, Ranma said, "Mom, there's something else that we need to talk to you about.  Could you come with Akane and I to the dojo?"  His mother looked puzzled, but then nodded.  The three of them got up and walked into the dojo.  Ranma stood at the door to ensure their privacy.

Akane said, "Auntie Nodoka, we need your help.  Ranma and I would like to get married in August, but we still have the problem with your husband.  We'll still be underage, and we're still worried that he might try to take control of the property because of that."

Nodoka smiled happily at hearing that news.  "Akane, at least in private, why don't you call me Mom.  I'm so glad you two set a date.  As far as Gemna is concerned, I have a plan about that.  If you two want to get married in August, I just need to accelerate what I was planning."  She hugged Akane and said, "Go ahead and make your plans.  Let's keep this a secret for a while, though, dear, until he is gone."


	33. Nabiki Meets Mousse

Chapter 33 Nabiki Meets Mousse

As Nabiki entered the gate to her home, a young man followed her in.  "Excuse me," he said politely, "Do you live here?"

Nabiki turned and said, "Yes, I'm Nabiki Tendo and this is my home.  How can I help you?"  She gazed at him dispassionately, seeing a tall, slender man, with long, black hair.  By what she could see of his build through the white robe he was wearing, and by the graceful way he moved, she could tell he was a martial artist.

"My name is Mousse.  I'm from the same village as Shampoo.  I wanted to make sure Mr. Saotome was recovering from his injuries.  I'm afraid I hit him a lot harder than I intended," the young man answered, somewhat sadly.

Nabiki smiled thinly, and then replied, "That answer will cost you five thousand yen."  Mousse stared at her in disbelief and then handed her some money.  "That's one of the ways I earn my keep, brokering information.  As for your answer, he is still in a lot of pain.  My brother-in-law said he didn't receive any permanent damage, however," she said.  She was surprised to see a look of relief pass across his face.

Mousse smiled and then said, "Thanks.  That is a relief.  When I didn't see him come to the clinic today, I was worried that I might have really hurt him.  I thought he was a tougher fighter than he turned out to be.  Again, thank you, Miss Tendo."

She gave him an appraising look and then said, "Please, call me Nabiki."  Then she smiled at him, showing her dimples.

Mousse gazed at the very attractive woman smiling at him, and said, "Of course, Nabiki.  If you would, tell Mr. Saotome that he has nothing to fear from me.  The only reason I fought him was to challenge him for Shampoo.  I hope that he has a speedy recovery."  He bowed politely to her and then disappeared out the gate.

"Well, well, that was intriguing," Nabiki said to herself, "I wonder what that was really all about."  She stood there lost in thought.  That is where Ranma and Akane found her as they entered the yard.

"What's going on, Sis?" Akane asked, startling Nabiki out of her reverie.

"I just had a very interesting conversation with a man named Mousse.  He said he was an acquaintance of Shampoo," Nabiki said calmly, "He came by to check up on your father.  It seems that he was worried that he might have hurt him badly."

"So he came by just ta check on the man he beat ta a pulp.  That does strike me as a bit odd.  Sounds like we need to talk ta Shampoo and find out more about him," Ranma mused.

Akane hissed at Ranma, and said, "You're backsliding again, Ranchan.  Watch your grammar."

Ranma flashed a quick smile and then said, "Sorry, Acchan.  This is hard, you know."

"Yes, I know dear.  I've listened to how your father talks, so I know where you get this habit.  You're getting better, though.  You just slip now when you get excited," Akane said, "I'm going to go change and then I want you to watch me practice.  I need you to see where I'm going wrong."  She headed off to her room to change.

Ranma quirked an eyebrow at Nabiki.  "That's not all, is it?  You were certainly off in another world when we came in," Ranma asked.

"He intrigued me for some reason, Ranma.  I'm not quite certain why.  He's certainly different from the usual martial artists that I see.  You know, polite, considerate, well-spoken," Nabiki said with a smirk.

"Very funny, Nabiki," Ranma growled, in mock anger.  Nabiki took one look at him and wandered off, giggling.  Ranma smiled briefly and then went into the dojo to wait for Akane.

Later that evening, Nabiki sat down next to Shampoo.  "Mousse came by this afternoon to check up on Gemna.  Shampoo, why would he be so worried about him? Nabiki asked.

A brief expression of shame flashed across Shampoo's face.  "Mousse is a good man.  He has a very kind heart.  He will never make a good Amazon, because he really doesn't like to hurt people.  He will fight when he has to, but he doesn't like it," Shampoo replied.

"It sounds like you like him," Nabiki said.

"He was my childhood friend.  I hope once he gets over his obsession with me, then we can become friends again.  I do miss the Mousse I used ta play with," Shampoo said softly.

--------------------------------------

The next afternoon, Nabiki was waiting for her latest 'client' to show up.  As soon as she had reached the location that he had picked for the rendezvous, she had been concerned.  The alley, while off a busy street, was more isolated than she was comfortable with.  She watched warily as he approached, followed by one of the students from the kendo club, obviously recruited as muscle.

"Tendo, I wasn't real happy with the information on the tests that you obtained for me," the man began.

Nabiki interrupted him coldly, "I provided you with the sample tests that you asked for, Takeda.  I can't help that the people you sold them to couldn't keep their mouth shut.  The sensei would never have known that you had the answers if they hadn't bragged about it where someone could hear."

"I still lost a bundle of money because of it," he returned, "I expect to get that back from you."

Nabiki pierced him with a cold stare.  "You know my reputation.  I don't give refunds," she replied, "Now, if you'll excuse me, we're done here."  She started heading toward the mouth of the alley, but the muscle stepped in front of her.

"If you're expecting your sister's boyfriend reputation to protect you, I'm afraid it won't.  He's not here to defend you," the muscle smirked.

A quiet voice said from above, "That's true.  Saotome isn't here.  I am, though."  Several chains came flying out of the sky and wrapped around the muscle.  He was pulled up onto the roof and out of sight.  Nabiki whirled and got off a snap kick into the client's chest and knocked him into the building wall.  She followed with another kick to the chin that drove his head into the wall, knocking him out.  She turned as a figure dropped down behind her.  She dropped into a fighting stance and then relaxed when she saw that it was Mousse.  "Are you all right, Nabiki?" Mousse asked.  She nodded and ran to him.  "Then let's leave this place," he replied, "It appears to be full of trash."

"Thanks, Mousse.  I owe you one.  This might have gotten ugly," she said.  Suddenly she began to shake in reaction to what had almost happened.  Her mind was flashing images of what could have happened if Mousse hadn't intervened.  Mousse put his arms around her and held her until she stopped shivering.  "Could you take me away from here," she said in a weak voice.

He looked at her in concern, and then held out his arm as if to escort her.  She looked at him bemused, and then linked arms.  They headed out the alley, Nabiki leading them down the street to an ice cream parlor.  "This is my treat by way of thinks, Mousse," Nabiki said softly.

After they got their ice cream, they sat down next to each other in one of the booths.  She leaned into him, using his warmth to dispel the images that kept popping up in her mind.  "Do you mind telling what that was all about, Nabiki?" he asked.

"It was a business deal that went a little sour is all.  My client wasn't satisfied with the result of our deal and he wanted to take it out on me," Nabiki said, finally, "I was lucky you were around."

Mousse grimaced and admitted, "It wasn't exactly luck.  I overheard them talking about taking care of a Tendo and followed them.  I don't like defenseless people being hurt by thugs like that.  Turns out you weren't as defenseless as I thought."

Nabiki smirked, and then said, "I am from a family of martial artists.  Just because I'm not as into it as Akane or Kasumi doesn't mean I can't do a few things.  Ranma did insist on me relearning the basics."

Mousse smiled at that.  "If you're going to continue meeting dangerous people in dark alleys, you ought to learn more than just the basics," he replied, dryly, "If you're done, I'll walk you home."

"That's not necessary, Mousse.  It's kind of you to offer, though," Nabiki replied as she stood up.  Mousse rose with her and followed her out.  Nabiki sighed, as he walked with her and then she linked arms with him.  "Mousse," she said quietly, "Would you like to be friends?"

He raised one eyebrow at that and then said, "You know absolutely nothing about me, Nabiki.  But, yeah, sure, I'd like to be your friend."

She smirked and said, "I know you're kind, with a good heart.  You're good-looking, with a bit of a dry sense of humor.  You also have a hopeless crush on Shampoo.  You're a good martial artist, not in Ranma's class, but good none-the-less.  What else do I need to know to decide that you would make a good friend?  The rest I'll find out with time.  Now, you on the other hand, really don't know much about me."

"That's true.  Aside from you being very attractive, and intelligent, that you like making money, but find the hunt more fun, and that you have good taste in men, I don't know much about you," he said with a dry chuckle.  She winced slightly and then joined in his laughter.

As they reached the Tendo home, Nabiki asked, "Could you stay for dinner?  I'd like to get to know you better."

Mousse smiled and said, "I don't want to be a bother, but yes, I'd like that."

"Then it's settled.  I'll introduce you to everyone and tell Kasumi that there is one more for dinner," Nabiki said as she drew him into the house.  They found Kasumi cooking in the kitchen.  "Sis, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Mousse.  I invited him to stay for dinner.  Mousse, this is my older sister, Kasumi."

Nihao, Mu Tsu.  Welcome to our home, Kasumi said.

Startled, Mousse replied, Thank you, Kasumi.  Nihao, to you.  How did you know I was Chinese?

I remembered Xian Pu talking about you and I thought you would appreciate hearing your own tongue, Kasumi said sweetly.

Thank you for your courtesy and thoughtfulness, he said formally.

"Where is everybody, Sis?" Nabiki asked.

"Ranma and Akane are in the dojo.  No one else is home, yet," Kasumi replied.

Nabiki led Mousse outside to the dojo, where they found Ranma watching Akane practicing.  She was punching as fast as she could against a vertical board, pulling her punches so that the board wasn't moving as she hit it.  Ranma was counting down the time and when he had reached zero, Akane halted.  "Not bad, Acchan.  It looks like you're getting your speed almost up to mine," Ranma said.

"Ranma, Akane, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine.  His name is Mousse.  Mousse, this is my younger sister Akane and her fiancé Ranma Saotome," Nabiki said.

Ranma stood and looked at Mousse. Slowly a grin formed on his face, surprising Mousse.  Then Ranma said, "So you're the guy chasing Shampoo.  The one who just beat Pop to a pulp.  Ya did a good job on him.  Nothing broken, just a lot of painful bruises."

"You bear me no ill will for attacking your father!" Mousse said in surprise.

"Why should I?  I pound on him like that all of the time, and besides knowing him, he probably deserved it," Ranma smirked.  He bowed and then said, "Any friend of Nabiki is a friend of mine."

Akane smiled, and said, "Nice meeting you, Mousse.  Where did you two meet?"

"Yesterday when I came by here to check on Mr. Saotome was the first time we met.  Then we met again by accident today and she invited me here," Mousse said.

Ranma stared at Nabiki and raised an eyebrow in question.

Nabiki sighed and said, "That's not quite true.  Actually, today we met when he saved me from someone who was about to attack me.  We got to talking after that and I asked him if he wanted to be friends."

Ranma growled, "Who was it that attacked you?"

"Nobody important.  Mousse and I took care of him.  I doubt he'll bother me anymore.  I did learn one lesson though. No more meetings in dark alleyways," Nabiki said.

Kasumi came to the kitchen door and called, "Everybody, dinner is ready!!"  As she stepped into the dining area, she saw that Mr. Saotome and her father were already seated.  As Mousse entered the room, Mr. Saotome went very pale, and began to shake.  Kasumi asked, sweetly, "Oh my, Mr. Saotome, is there something wrong?  Are you coming down with something, perhaps?"

Gemna opened his mouth, but no words came out.  He simply pointed to Mousse and groaned.  Mousse smiled coldly, and said, "Mr. Saotome, you have nothing else to fear from me.  I have no need to fight you anymore.  I've proven to my satisfaction that I am a better martial artist than you, that's all I wanted to discover."

Shampoo said, with some heat, "You may have beaten Airen, Mousse, but you can't beat me in a fight."

Mousse shrugged.  "It wasn't about you at all, Shampoo.  I didn't even issue a formal challenge to him for your hand.  It was just something I needed to do as a man," he said.  Shampoo looked at him in confusion.

Shampoo said, I don't understand.  If it wasn't about me, then why did you attack him?

It was a matter of honor, Xian Pu.  I can't fight you for the right to marry you.  I can, however, prove that he is not worthy to be an Amazon male, Mousse said.  Shampoo stared at him, wondering what that meant.

As they finished dinner, Nabiki asked, "Mousse, could I have a word with you?"

He looked puzzled, but followed her to the koi pond, where they sat in silence watching the fish swim.  Nabiki hesitated and then asked, "Mousse, I think I need a partner, maybe a bodyguard.  I didn't want to alarm anyone, but I'm afraid that guy won't give up."

"Why didn't you have Ranma take care of him, Nabiki?  He cares for you, so he would do that," Mousse said.

"Things are still a little tense between Akane, Ranma and I.  You see, both of us love Ranma, but he only loves Akane.  She still doesn't trust that I've given up on him, so it's safer for me if I don't get too close to him," Nabiki said softly.

Mousse thought about that for a while, and then asked, "How much is my protection worth to you?"

Nabiki laughed, and said, "Won't being around a beautiful woman be compensation enough?"

"Beauty is important, however, I can't be of much use to you if I don't have food to eat," Mousse said with a smile.

"I think we can come up with a satisfactory arrangement," Nabiki said, "I'll be needing you every afternoon after school.  Can you meet me there?"

"Certainly.  After all, what man wouldn't want to meet someone as attractive as you," Mousse said.

"Good.  It's a deal.  I'd also like the chance to learn your language," Nabiki said.  She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, and said, "And that's for saving me this afternoon.  That debt I don't know how to repay.  See you tomorrow."  She stood up and walked back into the house, leaving Mousse staring at her in bemusement.

"Interesting woman, isn't she?" Ranma said from the dojo.

"How much of that did you hear?" Mousse asked.

"All of it.  I agree with her, by the way.  I can't be her bodyguard.  If I had been there when she was attacked, I would have taken care of them, but I won't go after them unless they try again.  I'd rather they not be tempted to do that.  I'll feel better knowing that you are watching out over my sister-to-be," Ranma said, "Besides, she likes you."

Mousse smiled and said, "I believe it's time for me to leave.  I'll probably be seeing you around, Saotome."  He bowed to Ranma and left.

--------------------------------------

Mousse met Nabiki at the school the next afternoon.  He walked up as she was still talking to two of her lieutenants, giving them their instructions.  He waited until she finished.  To his surprise, she introduced him to the two girls, saying, "Misao, Megumi, this is my new partner, Mousse.  Mousse, these are two of my top operatives.  I'll be showing him the ropes for a while, so don't be surprised when you see him with me."  The two girls bowed politely, and Mousse responded.  They then ran off on their missions.

"Mousse, I'd like to take out that cretin from yesterday, and I need your help to do that," Nabiki said, "Nobody tries to strong arm me and gets away with it."

"Nabiki, it's one thing to protect you from an attack, but I'm not going to do anything I consider dishonorable," Mousse cautioned.

Nabiki frowned quickly and said, "I'm not suggesting anything dishonorable.  He owes me a lot of money for past information I've gathered for him, and I'm going to call in his debts.  He may try to attack me then as a way to avoid paying off what he owes.  If he does attack, I want him taken down as damage free as possible so we can hand him over to the police."

Mousse mulled that over for a while and finally said, "So long as you don't goad him into attacking you, I don't have a problem, Nabiki."

"Good.  He's usually by the gym after school.  Let's head on over there and find him," Nabiki replied.  Mousse smiled briefly and then gallantly offered her his arm.  Nabiki grinned at him, saying, "Are you trying to ruin my image as the Ice Queen of Furinkan High? "  Then she giggled softly and added, "Why not, let's shock the entire school!"  She took his arm as they strolled off, ignoring the surprised looks on the faces of the people she was passing.  As they neared the gym, Nabiki spotted Kanryu Takeda leaning against the outside wall, smoking a cigarette.

Nabiki smirked, "Takeda, that's a real bad habit you have there.  One of these days it just might kill you."

"Hello to you too, Tendo.  What do you and your boyfriend want with me?" Takeda snarled, stubbing his cigarette out on the wall and dropping the butt to the ground.

"I don't like being threatened.  Did you think I would ignore what you tried to do yesterday?  You owe me a hundred thousand for the information services I've provided for you.  I've allowed you several days grace on the amount, but now I'm calling in my marker.  You're just not that good a credit risk, anymore," Nabiki replied.

"I don't have that kind of money," he protested.

"That's not really my problem," she replied coolly, "I know you can get it.  Bring it tomorrow."  She turned to leave.

As she did, Takeda pulled a knife and lunged for her.  Mousse caught the flicker of the knife blade from the corner of his eye and lashed out with a chain from inside his robes.  The chain caught Takeda's arm and pulled him away from Nabiki before the knife blade made contact.  In short order, Mousse had him hog-tied.

Nabiki said, "Naughty, naughty.  That's twice in two days you've tried to hurt me.  You should have just paid up when you had a chance.  Now you're in deep trouble, that wasn't a real smart move in front of all these witnesses."  She called the police on her cell phone and reported the attack, ending with the fact that he was captured.

"Thanks, Mousse.  That's another one I owe you," Nabiki said, maintaining her icy demeanor, hiding the fact that her heart was racing inside her chest.

"No problem, Nabiki.  I don't really like cowards who attack from behind like that," Mousse said, maintaining his calm.  Seeing that knife drawn had made him see red.

A police officer came running across the campus toward them.  Once he reached the gym, he asked, "Miss Tendo, tell me what happened here?"  Nabiki related the incident, including the abortive attack yesterday.  When she was done, he turned to Mousse and asked, "Who are you?"

Mousse bowed politely, and replied, "My name is Mousse.  I am a minor member of the Chinese embassy staff.  Miss Tendo here hired me to act as a tutor of the Chinese languages.  I'm also a bit of a martial artist, so when this Takeda person attacked her, I disarmed him."

The police officer's somewhat rude demeanor suddenly changed when he heard that Mousse was on the embassy staff.  He returned the bow, and then asked, "Are these people witnesses?"  Seeing Nabiki nod her head, he went and took statements from as many people as he could catch.  Once he had them all, he returned to Takeda and said, "Kanryu Takeda, you're under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon."  He placed Takeda in handcuffs and marched him off.  Nabiki and Mousse watched them disappear through the gates of the schoolyard.

"Embassy staff, huh?" Nabiki asked.

Mousse reddened and said, "Yes, as I said, very junior.  I fetch things for one of the Amazon elders who is staying there."

"Would you walk me home, now?" Nabiki asked, starting to react to the panic she had almost succumbed to.  In answer, he offered her his arm again.  She again took his arm and they headed to the Tendo home.  Once they arrived, and before she walked into the yard, she reached up and thoroughly and completely kissed Mousse.  She said, "Thanks, again."  She walked off, leaving a totally stunned and confused Mousse.


	34. Nodoka's Plan

Chapter 34 Nodoka's Plan

That afternoon, after school, Nodoka and Ranma approached the gate to the Chinese Embassy.  Nodoka asked one of the guards stationed there, Is the honorable Elder Khu Lon here?  This humble person is most desirous of audience with her.  As always, her Chinese was impeccable.

The attractive female guard bowed politely in response and said in perfect yet slightly accented Japanese, "Yes, Elder Cologne is within.  May this humble person enquire as to the identity of such noble visitors?"

"Our pardon, I am Nodoka Saotome and this is my son, Ranma.  We are friends of the honorable Elder," Nodoka replied.

The guard's eyes widened slightly and then she recovered her composure.  Bowing deeper, she responded, "Please, forgive this unworthy one, Elder.  I did not recognize you.  The honorable Elder said that you would come and were to be extended all of the courtesies of a member of her clan.  Please, follow.  This humble person would be honored to escort you to her, honored Elder."

Nodoka blinked in surprise.  She bowed slightly.  "No forgiveness is necessary, as there was no insult.  We would be honored by your escort," she replied.  The guard turned and the three of them entered the grounds of the embassy.  The young guard showed them to a small gazebo overlooking the luscious formal gardens, where Cologne was sipping some tea and reading some correspondence.

Nodoka bowed gracefully to Cologne and after a sharp glance from his mother, Ranma bowed as well.  Cologne chuckled and asked, Would you like some tea?  It is a blend I particularly care for from our province.

Nodoka smiled pleasantly and replied, Yes, that would be wonderful.

Cologne gave the necessary order and then asked them to sit down.  Hello, grandson.  I see your mother is attempting to teach you manners.

Ranma smiled ruefully and said in reply, Yes, she is, with much the same techniques that you used to do, grandmother.  How are you feeling today?

The guard returned with a full teapot and two cups of tea and set them on the table.

Cologne cackled and replied, There may be hope for you yet, grandson.  I find that I am feeling most of my years today.  But I doubt that the two of you came all this way to enquire about my health.  Let's pretend that we have satisfied all of the ceremonial proprieties and get down to the real reason for your visit.  I find that as I grow older, I don't want to waste the time I have left.

Nodoka said, You were correct, this tea is quite good.  We came here for several reasons, Khu Lon.  The first was to clarify one of the things you told my son.  I believe you told him there is no cure for his curse.  Is that still true?

"Yes, unfortunately.  While there are rumors of a spring of drowned man that would have cured him, we lost its location during one of the interminable wars we had with the people of the Musk Dynasty.  The original map of Jusenkyo was badly damaged during the fighting two hundred years ago and no one has been able to locate all of the springs.  There hasn't been a great desire for anyone to try to find out what all of those springs do either.  Some of the other springs that were lost that contain curses that are extremely horrible," Cologne replied, "That is why I told Ranma what I did.  I'm sorry, child."

Ranma squared his shoulders, and said, "Elder, I've actually come to terms with my cursed form.  If I have to live with this for the rest of my life, I will.  If other people have a problem with it, that's their concern, not mine."

Nodoka looked fondly at her manly son.  He was indeed growing up.  Then she said, "I have come to a decision about my husband.  After thinking about everything he has done, I realized that whatever I had seen in him had vanished.  After his near destruction of my son, his reckless disregard for the feelings of other people and his total contempt for women, I no longer wish to be his wife.  I have started the necessary steps to remove that mistake.  However, I don't believe that is sufficient.  He deserves punishment as well, at least until he comes to understand the error of his ways."

"I understand, Nodoka," Cologne replied, "But what is it that you need me for?"

"Several things, actually.  First and foremost, I ask you to release Shampoo from her kiss of marriage.  Obviously, she has no desire to be his wife, either.  She shudders every time he comes near her.  Second, I have talked to Shampoo.  She believes that you know of some pressure points that will lock a person in his cursed form.  If that is true, I would ask that you perform that technique on my soon-to-be former husband," Nodoka said.

"I see no problem in releasing my granddaughter from her kiss of marriage.  No one should be forced to wed you r husband.  As to the second request, I do know a technique that will cause it to be difficult to change back.  Only the Musk dynasty has a way of locking the curse permanently.  That is a horrible thing to do, though.  Are you sure that it is absolutely necessary?  Are you sure you want to lock him into the panda form?" Cologne asked.

Nodoka smiled evilly.  "Actually, I had a different curse in mind.  He doesn't mind being a panda, after all.  When he's a panda, all he has to do is laze around the house and eat and drink.  However, there is a curse that he would absolutely hate.  Ukyo suggested that as a matter of fact," Nodoka said with a wicked laugh.  Cologne's eyes widened as she realized what Nodoka had meant.

"Mom, I'm still not happy with that.  I at least had help adjusting.  You propose to throw him to the wolves," Ranma said.

"I know, dear.  Your heart is too kind, however," Nodoka said, "That's one of the things I love about you."

Cologne stared into space for several long minutes.  "As you wish, daughter.  I won't perform the technique myself, but I will agree to teach it to your son.  As to the other need, I will obtain the appropriate spring water and have it shipped here," Cologne said finally.

"Uh, would you make sure there is enough for two people?" Ranma asked, slowly.

Cologne looked surprised, but then nodded in agreement.  "Nodoka, I will come see my great granddaughter soon.  Until then, still keep my presence from her," Cologne asked.

"Of course.  When will we have what we need?" Nodoka asked.

Cologne frowned in thought.  "It will take a little time to get the word back to the village and the water shipped here.  I'd say probably a month.  But that will allow me sufficient time to train Ranma.  You will know when the water is here when I come to see my great granddaughter," Cologne said.

"Excellent.  Once you have spoken to Shampoo, I'll meet with Shampoo and Ukyo and finalize our plans.  Thank you for your assistance in this matter, Elder.  Thank you for your hospitality," Nodoka replied.  Nodoka rose, followed hastily by Ranma.  They bowed in respect to Cologne, and followed the guard out of the embassy grounds.

Cologne sat there musing with a twinkle in her eye.  'I chose better that I knew when I allowed Xian Pu to follow Saotome here.  I hope she has paid proper attention to the lessons Nodoka has taught her,' she thought.

As they made their way to the train station for the trip back to Nerima, Nodoka asked, "Ranma, why did you ask for enough water for two people?"

Ranma sighed, and then answered, "There is one more person who Pop damaged during our travels.  While I can't fix the problem that he caused, I need to at least offer this option."

"Now I understand.  It's another matter of honor, isn't it?" Nodoka asked.  Ranma nodded wordlessly and then lost himself in his thoughts.  He understood his mother's desire for vengeance; in fact, he shared it to a lesser extent.  It still bothered him for some unknown reason.  He sighed again, and decided to think about a more pleasant topic, so he lost himself in thinking about Akane.

--------------------------------------

Two weeks into the school year found Kasumi upstairs in her room, attempting to work on her schoolwork.  She groaned as she looked at the assignment she had received from her professor today.  'What possessed me to take English Composition as a freshman?  What kind of idiot am I?' she thought, thinking of the story she was going to have to write.  She threw herself on her bed in disgust.  'Writing a fantasy short story in English, UGH!!!' she thought.

Ranma peeked into her room.  He had heard her groan as he walked past heading toward Akane's room.  "Kasumi-chan, what's wrong?" he asked politely.

She rolled over and looked at him.  Kasumi sighed, and said, "I might have been too ambitious my first semester back in school.  I'm taking English Composition, and the sensei wants us to write a fantasy as a short story.  I can't think of a thing to write about."

Ranma face-faulted.  "Uh, Kasumi dear, how about a Japanese martial artist who falls into a cursed spring and turns into a girl when wet?  Sounds like a fantasy to me," he said with a grin.

Kasumi just stared at him in shock.  "Ranchan, I guess I got used to you.  I didn't even think about that."

"Happy to be of assistance to the Fair Kasumi Tendo," he intoned in his best Kunoesque manner, "I live but to serve thee."

Kasumi began giggling. "Thanks, Ranchan, I needed that.  I feel so much better now."

"You're welcome, Kasumi-chan.  Now, I better find Akane.  I really need her help on this history assignment," he said.  'I really like seeing her happy.  Tofu has been good for her,' he thought, 'She laughs and giggles so much more now.'

Kasumi sat down at her desk and began typing her story into the computer.  'Hm, the easiest story is just to tell how we met Ranma,' she thought as her fingers went flying across the keyboard.  She smiled as the story began to write itself.

--------------------------------------

Later that afternoon, as Shampoo walked into the main room of Ucchan's, she was stunned to see her great grandmother sitting at the grill talking to Ukyo about the fine points of okonomiyaki cooking.  Great Grandmother! she cried, happily, Why didn't you let me know that you were coming?

Hush child.  Show some respect for your elders, Cologne chided.  "Ukyo, may I steal my granddaughter away for a while?" Cologne asked.

Ukyo smiled and said, "Of course.  Shampoo, why don't you two go upstairs and talk.  You'll be a bit more comfortable, after all.  I enjoyed our talk, Elder Cologne.  I'd like to continue it when you have an opportunity."

Cologne cackled and said, "Certainly, child.  Now, Shampoo, show me the way, dear."  Shampoo led her great grandmother upstairs.

Ryoga walked out of the kitchen and hugged Ukyo from behind and kissed the back of her neck.  Ukyo growled at him and said, "If you make me burn this okonomiyaki, I'll be mad at you."

Meanwhile, upstairs in the apartment, Cologne asked, Tell me what you have learned from these people, Xian Pu.

Shampoo pondered the question carefully.  Her great grandmother would not have come all this way to ask that casually.  She wasn't sure how she knew, but Shampoo realized that the answer she gave was extremely important to her great grandmother.  Shampoo answered carefully, I have learned many things, Elder Khu Lon.  One is that our culture, our traditions, are not the only way to lead an honorable life.  Ranma and his mother, both have shown me that they value honor above all things.  In spite of the many issues that fool Saotome created for his son, Ranma attempted to solve them as honorably as he could.  His mother has had many long talks with me.  She could have easily turned me away but she welcomed me into her family, treating me as an equal, but also as her daughter.  She showed me that family and clan are important to her as well.  The Tendo women and Ukyo are friends that I cherish.  In many ways they would be worthy to be considered Amazon warriors.  Another thing they have shown me is that it is possible to follow ancient traditions and yet live in a modern world.  Our culture avoids that, and that may yet prove to be a mistake.  I'm concerned that we may not be adaptable enough.

Cologne smiled proudly as she said, Well answered, Xian Pu. I too have often thought we were too rigid.  While we must hold to our customs and traditions because that defines who we are as a people, we must also be able to survive in the modern age.  While our villages are still quite isolated, eventually modern civilization will encroach upon us more and more.  We have to be ready for that.  What about your Airen?

Shampoo said simply, Losing to that fool has taught me something as well.  One is that even the best martial artist can be beaten if they are too arrogant.  I let my anger and my pride blind me and thus fell easy prey to an opponent who is nowhere near my equal.  I lost to him before I even stepped on the challenge log.  However, he is not worthy of my respect.  He is lazy, dishonest, a drunkard and a cheat.  He has an extremely poor opinion of women.  He has done many dishonorable things in his life.  He in no way deserves the honor of becoming an Amazon warrior.

Then it is a good thing that you cannot wed him.  His prior marriage to Nodoka invalidated the kiss of marriage you gave him.  I hereby declare that null and void, Cologne said, with a dry chuckle at the look of relief her great granddaughter gave her.

Shampoo asked, Does this mean I may return to the village?

Only if you wish, Xian Pu.  If you wish to stay here to finish your education, that is your choice.  I will be returning shortly to the village, but you may stay if that is your desire, Cologne replied.

I would like to stay if I could.  I have come to love my new family and friends and would miss them greatly.  I have even enjoyed school and I would like to go to college, Shampoo answered.

Then it is decided, child.  You have my permission to tell Nodoka and her son about the kiss of marriage.  Treat Nodoka as you would treat an Elder of the village.  She has much wisdom still to teach you, Cologne said, I will see you again before I depart, great granddaughter, but for now, farewell.  To her great pleasure, Shampoo hugged her and then let her go.

--------------------------------------

That evening, Shampoo sat down with Nodoka and Ranma and discussed her conversation with her great grandmother.  Nodoka smiled and said, "It has begun, then.  It is my turn to take action.  Ranma, say nothing about this, but tomorrow I will take steps to no longer be wed to your father.  His name will also be taken off the clan roll because of his dishonorable actions."

Ranma sighed sadly, and said, "Mom, I understand why you're doing this.  His attitude toward women alone would have been enough to turn your stomach.  I can't turn my back on him completely, though."

"After you come back, can I tell him my good news, as well?" Shampoo pleaded, "I want him to know that I am not his, either!"

"Yes, child.  That would be appropriate," Nodoka replied, "Tell Ukyo tomorrow at school that it has begun."

--------------------------------------

Akane and Kasumi were watching television after dinner in the living room.  Nabiki had gone out right after school with Mousse, while Gemna and Soun had gone out after dinner for a town council meeting.  Shampoo and Nodoka had disappeared somewhere, while Ranma was in the dojo practicing.

Akane raised an eyebrow as Nabiki came tumbling in from another evening out Mousse, her face flushed..  She smiled to see Nabiki so happy.  "Hey, Sis, that's what the fourth night in a row that you and Mousse have gone out?  I'm glad to see you find someone," Akane said.

"What do you mean, Akane?  We aren't going out on dates or anything.  They're just business meetings.  Mousse is just my business partner," Nabiki replied, somewhat defensively.  'And friend,' she thought to herself.

"Yeah, right.  Do you always go out for a business meeting dressed to the nines like that in a fancy cocktail dress, and wearing makeup?" Akane retorted, grinning at her sister, "Don't pull my leg so hard."

"He's just a friend," Nabiki protested, blushing.

Kasumi giggled, and said, "I thought he was just a business partner, now he's a friend?  I think my younger sister protests too much."

"I think you're right, Sis.  I think Nabiki's smitten with him," Akane smirked.

Nabiki fled the room, her cheeks bright red, while her two sisters started giggling.  Ranma came in from the dojo and asked, seeing Akane and Kasumi giggling their heads off, "What's so funny, you two?"

"Nabiki and Mousse," Akane said, "I'd say she's fallen for him, and just doesn't want to admit to herself yet."

"I think it's sweet," Kasumi said, still giggling.

Ranma rolled his eyes, muttering, "Women," under his breath.  Then he smiled at his fiancée and asked, "I'm gonna go clean up.  After I'm done, do you wanna go get some ice cream?"

"Only if it's my fiancé that takes me, not my girlfriend," Akane said, archly.

Ranma smiled and then asked, "How 'bout you, Kasumi-chan?  I'd love to escort two such beautiful women out to the ice cream parlor."

Kasumi blushed prettily, and replied, "I haven't gone out for ice cream in a long time.  I'd really like that."

Ranma went into the bathroom and cleaned up, then changed into a set of clean clothing.  He returned to the living room and the three of them left, Ranma with a woman on each arm.

Author's Note:  I know I took some liberties with the cursed Spring at Jusenkyo, but for the purpose of this story I needed there not to be an easily found cure.  After all, since Ranma spent a month at the Amazon village, if there had been a spring of drowned man, then he would have used it.


	35. The Revenge of Women Scorned

Chapter 35 The Revenge of Women Scorned

As the sun rose bathing the streets of Nerima in the light of the morning, Genma slowly walked into the Tendo home after a night of carousing with his friend Soun, he met his wife pacing angrily in the living room.  Soun took one look at her and fled.  "Genma, I have come to a decision!" Nodoka announced, "After weighing everything that you have done, I have decided that you have failed in your pledge to teach my son to be a man among men.  A man so lost to honor as yourself could never have taught anything about how to be manly."

Genma began to cringe; shocked totally sober.  He suddenly dropped into one of the Saotome Forbidden techniques, that of the Crouch of the Wild Tiger.  He begged, "Please don't make me commit seppuku, I don't wanna die!"

"Get up you miserable worm!  You disgust me," she said icily, "No husband, we will merely end this farce of a marriage.  It is your choice however; it can end with divorce or your death.  I have no intention of allowing you to do something so honorable as seppuku, though."

He began babbling incoherently, but she thought she heard him say, "Divorce, divorce, divorce."

She smiled grimly and said, "Excellent choice.  Now come with me to the town hall to take care of that."  She grabbed her soon to be former husband by the arm and dragged him out of the house.

Several hours later, a smiling Nodoka and a spineless, sobbing, Genma came back to the Tendo home.  As she entered, Soun approached them and asked, "What's wrong, old friend?"

Nodoka bowed politely and said, "Soun, I wish to thank you for your hospitality these many months.  Unfortunately, I must return to my home.  I have started the process of divorcing Genma.  I no longer consider myself married to this person, therefore it would not be honorable for me to share a guest room with him."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Nodoka.  We've enjoyed your company and your help.  Are you sure there isn't some way that you can stay?" Soun almost pleaded.

"It wouldn't be fair to you to have both of us staying here, Soun," Nodoka replied.  She fingered the hilt of her katana blade, thoughtfully, looking at Genma.

Shampoo came in from the backyard to see what was going on.  She smiled evilly as she saw the cringing Saotome.  "Old man, I had a talk with my clan Elder.  Due ta your lack of honor, she dissolved the Kiss of Marriage I gave ya.  You are not worthy to be my Airen!" she said.  She walked over and kissed him on the right cheek.  "Thus the Kiss of Marriage is annulled," she said.  She held her bonborris almost casually, glaring at the figure in front of her.

"Tendo, old friend, I'll stay in the dojo, tonight," Genma said, "I'll leave tomorrow.  I've imposed on you enough."  He eyed the two women nervously.  'I can tell I'm not wanted here,' he thought sadly to himself.

At that moment, Ranma walked in carrying a letter.  "Hey, Pop.  You look horrible.  This came for you today.  Seems like someone has challenged you to a fight tomorrow afternoon at six," he said, handing his father the challenge letter.

"Well, boy, it looks like you'll have ta uphold the honor of the Saotomes," Genma began.

Ranma interrupted, "I thought you called yourself a martial artist, Pop!  What kind of man backs out on a challenge like that?"

"He's right, Saotome, old friend.  The challenge was addressed to you.  Your son can't fight in your stead.  It wouldn't be honorable," Soun said.

Genma stared at his friend, feeling betrayed.  "Soun, how could you think that?  Of course I'll go.  I just wanted to give my son the opportunity instead," Genma replied, "Looks like he'll just have to come and watch a real martial arts master at work."

"Pop, I wouldn't miss it for the world," Ranma said with a smirk.

The next afternoon, Genma headed off to the remote park where the challenge was to take place.  He was surprised when Nodoka and Shampoo went with him.  Ukyo joined them as they left the Tendo grounds and said, "Ranchan said to tell you he would meet you at the park, Mr. Saotome.  I think he's looking forward to seeing you fight.  He certainly was looking excited about it at school."

"A martial artist's life is full of peril," Genma intoned, "I'm glad my son understands that."  He missed everyone rolling their eyes at how pompous he sounded.  Finally, they reached the deserted park a few minutes early.  Ranma was waiting for them by the entrance.  As they walked to the location specified in the challenge letter, there was no one to be found.  Genma said, "I wonder where this challenger is?  It's almost six and there's no one here.  He must have heard how good I am and backed out.  I'm sorry all of ya came this far for nothing.  I'm happy with the sign of support, though I'm a little surprised ya came."

"Actually, Saotome, your challenger is here," Ranma said with a smirk, "I'm formally challenging you as Master of the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts."

"You, you ungrateful pup.  How dare you challenge me for mastery!" Genma blustered.

"Enough talk, more action!" growled Ukyo, "Go ahead and fight, Ranchan!"

"Well, what are you gonna do, old man? You gonna fight or what?" Ranma taunted.

Genma roared with anger and charged Ranma.  Ranma hit him with a ki blast that staggered Genma.  Before he could recover, Ranma had hit one of his pressure points, causing Genma to lose the use of one arm.  Genma began to look a little worried.  He said, "Now son, I know we've had some differences, but I've always looked out for ya.  We don't need ta do this."

"Looked out for me, huh!  So that's why I have so many fiancées, why I got sold for food several times.  Well thanks so very much for that.  I'd hate to think what would have happened if you hadn't been looking out for me!" Ranma said coldly.  Ranma dodged another wild swing by Genma and touched the pressure point on that arm as well.

Genma tried to run, which was a mistake.  The moment he turned his back, Ranma sprang forward and hit the pressure point on the back of his father's neck, paralyzing him.  Ranma pushed his father to the ground and said, "Pop, it looks like you lose.  I guess that means I'm the new master of the Saotome branch of the school."

Genma looked at the four people who surrounded him.  He growled, "So you actually came to see me humiliated by my own son."

"No, Genma.  I came to see my son claim his heritage, to try to remove the stain from the Saotome name.  I, Nodoka Himura, of the clan Himura, denounce you for the honorless cur you are.  Ranma, your father was never much of a man.  It's time to correct that."

Ranma looked at his mother and asked, anxiously, "Mom, is this really what ya want ta do?  I know he deserves to be punished, but –"

Nodoka interrupted, "It's what we agreed on, all three of us, Shampoo, Ukyo and myself.  It is a punishment that will fit his crimes; you have to admit!  We need your help though, Ranma, no one else besides Cologne could do it, and she has helped as much as she is going to.  Besides, we're doing it partially for you as well."

Ranma closed his eyes in pain and then sighed.  "Alright, Mom, I'll do it.  You just don't understand what it will do ta him.  It may break him completely.  You're right though.  It is the perfect punishment for what he has done to all of us.  Sorry, Pop, but ya brought this upon yourself with your stupidity."

Ranma approached his father, who was lying paralyzed on the ground due to the pressure points that Ranma had applied while fighting with his father.  One final time he touched his father, high up on the chest performing a Full Body Cat Tongue.  Cologne had taught him that reluctantly, only giving in finally to Nodoka's pleas for assistance.  Ranma backed away quickly as Shampoo came forward with her contribution.  She poured the cask of cursed spring water over Genma, making sure it only went on him.  Shampoo said, "Goodbye, the person who once was my Airen.  I hope this hurts you as much as you hurt your son."

Genma felt the transformation, even through his paralysis, and screamed in a high-pitched register in horror as he realized what had been done to him.  "That's right, Genma, you have been drenched in water from the spring of Drowned Girl," Nodoka said, icily, "Consider this as Shampoo and my way of finalizing our separation.  Did you really think that I would allow you to almost destroy my son and allow you to go unpunished?  That I would allow you to escape with merely a divorce!  The paralysis will wear off quickly.  I suggest you leave once it does."  She threw a bag of clothing next to her soon to be former husband.

Ukyo came forward, and added, "This is for nearly ruining my life and for making ten years of it hell.  There's a little money in the bag.  I'd take off running once you're dressed.  My understanding is that this part of town is full of undesirable types who just love to prey on young women."

The three women stood there for a moment, glaring at the person on the ground, making the three avenging Furies of Greek mythology look like meek school girls.  Then the three women turned their backs, and left, not one looking at the somewhat homely middle-aged woman lying on the ground.  Ranma looked at the person who used to be his father, and shook his head.  "Pop, if you're smart, you'll go somewhere far away from here.  I wouldn't come near any of them for a long time.  They aren't in a very forgiving mood.  If you come back too soon, they won't be as merciful the next time.  They made me promise not to help you in any way until you showed you learned your lesson.  If it helps any, I don't hate you for what you did.  Try to keep in touch, if you want to," Ranma said.

Genma stared at him, in shock, and then nodded.  She said, "Ranma, my boy.  Do the school proud.  Tell Nodoka that I'm sorry for what I did, and that I guess I understand why she did this.  There's a few things that I want back at the Tendo's.  I'll send you a letter when I know where I'm staying."

Ranma stood there for a second more, then replied, "Good luck, Pop.  I'll miss you."  He ran after the three women.

Ukyo looked at Nodoka and said, "Thank you, Auntie Nodoka for allowing me to be a part of this.  Now I truly feel that my honor has been restored.  Will she ever be able to change back?"

"According to Cologne, even lukewarm water will cause burns on her skin.  Genma might be able to stomach it a few times, but the pain will be too much to bear to do it often.  People who have a Jusenkyo curse appear to be cold-water magnets.  No, Genma will be trapped in that form for as long as we want," Nodoka said with a wicked smile.

"Good," Shampoo said forcefully, "Nodoka, thank you bringing me in on this.  My skin crawled every time Genma looked at me.  Even when he was in Panda form, it felt like I was dismissed as nothing more than a silly, weak woman."

"Ladies," Ranma began, when all of the sudden a rainsquall blew in.  "Damn," she said, "I hate it when that happens.  Anyway, you really don't know what you've done to Pop, do you?  Pop always taught me that women were pretty much worthless.  Yeah, you don't have to tell me that was so much garbage.  But that's what went on in what passed for Pop's mind.  Now he is cursed to be something that I truly believe he despised.  I'm not sure he will retain his sanity.  I was lucky when I fell into that spring.  I had already decided that most of what he had taught me wasn't worth the air that he was breathing.  So it wasn't the total mental shock for me that I expect it is for her.  Don't get me wrong; I think this is indeed the right punishment.  You just need to take precautions in case Pop comes after you."

"He was just a man, before," Shampoo said, disdainfully, "I'm an Amazon warrior, I can take care of myself."

Ukyo shrugged and said, "Your dad wasn't that good, but if you're worried, why don't you train me?"

"Tell you what, Ucchan, I'll let you ask Acchan if it's alright if I train you.  I'm not suicidal, after all.  She still gets jealous of you, even though we've been engaged for a while now.  I think she expects you to dump Ryoga one of these days and start chasing after me, again," Ranma said.

That afternoon, as Ranma, Nodoka and Shampoo returned to the Tendo home, Mr. Tendo met them at the gate.  "Where's your father, Ranma?  Did the challenge not go well?" he asked.

"Actually, the challenge went very well, Mr. Tendo.  The challenger beat Pop, so there's a new master for the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts.  I'm afraid that he didn't take his defeat very gracefully, so until he thinks he can challenge the new master, Pop won' t be coming back here for a long time.  I expect that he will go on a long training trip.  He did want me to thank you for your hospitality during his stay here," Ranma replied.

"New master, who's the new master, Ranma?  You don't look too upset that someone else in now in charge of your school.  Don't you think he will come here and try to take over this dojo as well?" Tendo said worriedly.

Ranma smirked, and replied, "I challenged Pop for mastery.  Unfortunately, it wasn't much of a challenge.  It was over in just a few minutes, and I didn't even hurt him too badly.  At least not physically, I think his pride is damaged pretty badly."

Tendo's face went ashen.  "Does this mean that you intend to challenge me as well?" he asked.

Ranma's face went blank in surprise.  "I really hadn't thought about that, to be honest.  Besides, if any one should challenge you for the mastery of your branch, it would seem to make sense for it to be Akane," he replied after several moments.

Soun looked relieved, thinking to himself, 'Akane would never do that.  I'm surprised that Ranma actually challenged Genma.'

"Soun, since Genma won't be living here for sometime, with your permission, I would like to remain here," Nodoka said.

"Certainly, Nodoka, you are always welcome here.  After all, with Ranma and Akane engaged to be married, you are family.  I will miss my old shogi partner however," Soun replied.

"Actually, Mr. Tendo, Akane and I wanted to talk to you about that.  Where is she?" Ranma asked.

"She's helping Kasumi in the kitchen, I believe.  You two are still planning to get married, aren't you?" Soun asked, not liking the way Ranma had said that.

"That's not what I meant.  Let me go get her and we can talk," Ranma said as he went into the house.

"Acchan, let's go talk to your Father.  I think it's time," Ranma said with a smile.

"How'd the challenge go, Ranma?  I didn't hear your father come in.  He isn't hurt is he?" Akane asked as she followed Ranma.

"Pop is fine, he just won't be living here for a while.  He didn't take losing the challenge for the school mastery very well, so I imagine he will be going somewhere to train, maybe to sulk," Ranma said, a little sadly.

"So who's the new master, then Ranchan?" Akane said, concerned, "Do we need to worry about a dojo destroyer coming by here, also?"

Ranma took her hand and said, "Acchan, I'm the new master of the Saotome branch.  I've already told your father that I won't challenge him.  That will be your challenge if you want the title of master.  You don't have to have it, but I needed to take it away from Pop.  So long as he was the master, his reputation would continue to stain the school.  Your father's reputation isn't as bad as Pop's so there's no real need to take that from him.  The town thinks very highly of him, actually."

"But why are you so sad then, Ranchan?" Akane asked.

Ranma hesitated, and then said, "I'll tell you tonight in bed.  I'd rather talk about setting a date for our wedding right now."

As the two youth neared him, Soun was relieved to see that the two of them were holding hands.  He was still worried about what Ranma had said.

"Father, what Ranchan and I wanted to do was set a date for the ceremony.  I know that originally, we had talked about after we had got out of high school, but we both don't want to wait that long.  We would like to get married this August, as soon as school is over for this term, that is if we have you and Auntie Nodoka's permission," Akane said.

Soun broke out in a big smile, and said, "Akane, I would be happy if you two got married then."  Then he broke down crying in joy, saying, "The schools will be joined, the schools will be joined."  He started dancing around the backyard, in his joy and excitement, watering the lawn with his tears.

"Honestly, Father, you're embarrassing us," Nabiki said from the door where she and Kasumi had been listening.

"Nabiki, that wasn't a very nice thing to say to Father," Kasumi chided.

"Nabiki, this is the dream that I have had ever since you girls were born.  Can't you allow an old man some happiness?" Soun wailed.

"Sure, whatever," Nabiki said dryly.  "Congratulations, Ranma, Akane.  I'll help arrange the wedding, with a nice family discount for you," she said to them.

"Actually, Nabiki, I think that won't be necessary.  I intend to make all of the arrangements," Nodoka said, with a smile, "You, Kasumi and Shampoo can certainly help, though."

After a very pleasant dinner, Shampoo followed Nodoka upstairs to the guest room to help pack up the remainder of Genma's belongings.  Once they were done, Shampoo was surprised when Nodoka held her back from going downstairs.  Child, we need to talk, first, Nodoka said, Now that Genma is gone, what are your plans?  After all, there is nothing holding you here.

Shampoo said. When I talked to Great Grandmother, she said I was free to return to the village whenever I wanted.  I asked for permission to stay here, at least long enough to finish my high school, though I would like to go to college as well.  We Amazons do need to have a modern education, after all.  She said that so long as I eventually return, when I return is up to me."

Nodoka smiled happily, and replied, I'm happy to hear that, Xian Pu.  If you would allow me the honor, I would like to act as your mother while you remain here.  I have come to think of you as my daughter.

Nothing would please me more than to call you Mom.  I missed having one while I was growing up, and I have indeed come to think of you as my mother, Shampoo responded.  She ran over and hugged Nodoka.  The two of them went in search of Ranma.  They found him in the dojo practicing with Akane.

"Ranma, could we talk to you, dear?" Nodoka asked.  Ranma stopped what he was doing and bowed to Akane.

"Later, Acchan.  Just keep practicing those moves against the sparring dummy.  What's up Mom?" Ranma replied.

"Ranma, now that Genma is no longer considered Shampoo's Airen, Shampoo has no family ties here in Japan.  She wants to remain here though and complete her education.  I've asked her to consider me as her mother, and she has agreed," Nodoka said.

"Cool, does that mean I can call you little sister, now, instead of step-mom?" Ranma said with a snicker.  Then he sobered and said, Xian Pu, it would honor me greatly to have you as my sister.  You are a true friend and a valiant warrior.

Shampoo reached out and gave Ranma an Amazon glomp.  She said, warmly, "Brother."  Akane began to glow blue with anger.

"Shampoo, let him go," Akane said, "He can't breathe."  She started forward to rescue her fiancé.

Ranma started turning blue, gasping, "Shampoo, can't breathe."  Shampoo turned him loose and Ranma fell onto the floor, attempting to catch his breath.  Finally he said, "Shampoo, that's a pretty effective hug you have there."

That night, as Akane was holding Ranma in bed, she asked, "What had you so sad before?"

Ranma looked at her fiancée and said, "I didn't tell you everything that happened.  Sure, I challenged Pop for the school, and I don't have a problem with that.  It's what Mom did after that bothers me.  She got some spring water from Jusenkyo and, well, Pop is now cursed to turn into a woman."

Akane tried to hold back her giggles, but couldn't.  "I'm sorry, Ranchan, but that's so poetic justice."

Ranma smiled briefly, then looked downcast.  "I know.  The punishment does fit the crime, doesn't it?  The problem is, I think she will crack under the strain of being a woman.  I think Pop honestly was a misogy, er, misogn, oh, shoot, a woman hater," Ranma said.

Akane said, "I think you mean a misogynist."

"That's the word.  They just left her there by herself, with no one to turn to.  I at least had the Amazon women to help me through it," Ranma said, beginning to weep a bit.

Akane held her fiancé, well, actually her fiancée, while Ranma cried herself out.  Finally, Ranma lifted her tear-streaked face and said, "Acchan, what would I ever do without you?  Thanks."  She leaned forward and kissed Akane gently.

"Ranchan, I'll always be here for you," Akane murmured, kissing her back.

Ranma wiped her face, and turned back on her side.  She said, "G'night, Acchan," as she yawned.

"Goodnight, dear," Akane replied as she closed her eyes.


	36. Ryoga's Choice

Chapter 36 Ryoga's Choice

The next morning, Ranma knocked on Nabiki's door.  Grumbling to herself about people who get up entirely too early, Nabiki slowly opened her door enough to stick her head out to see who was there. She growled, "Ranma, this better be important.  It's entirely too early for me to be out of bed."

"Yeah, I think it is.  I forgot to talk to you last night about Pop.  I need you to keep track of her for us, just in case she tries to get back at Mom," Ranma said.

Nabiki's eyes opened wide as Ranma's choice of pronouns registered.  She opened the door, inviting Ranma in.  He shook his head, grinned and said, "Not on your life.  Put a robe on first, or something.  Akane would kill me if I went in there with you dressed like that."

Nabiki looked down, and blushed, after realizing all she was wearing were her panties.  She shut the door quickly, and then a few moments later, opened the door again wearing a robe, belted tightly around her.  Ranma walked in, smirking at her.  Nabiki glared at him for a second, and then asked, "What happened to Genma?"

Ranma gave a shark-like grin, and said, "Mom decided that enough was enough.  After I beat him for mastery of the Saotome School, Mom had him cursed with water from the Spring of Drowned Girl.  Pop won't be able to stand the touch of water warm enough to transform back to male, so she is stuck that way until Mom takes pity on her.  We gave her enough money and some clothing, but I got to thinking that we need some way to keep track of where she might be.  I tossed in a bankcard against a small account that I set up, so you should be able to track the usage of the card.  There's a maximum daily limit on the amount that can be withdrawn as well, so Pop can't get too much out at any one time."

Nabiki looked at Ranma with respect, and replied, "Not bad, Ranma, not bad at all.  Give me the details on the account, and I will keep up with your Pop.  Since nobody said anything about it at dinner last night, I assume what happened to Genma is supposed to remain secret."

Ranma handed her a card with the bank information on it, and replied, "Shampoo and Ukyo were in on it with Mom, and I told Akane about it last night in bed.  I don't want to start having secrets from her.  You're the only other one who needs to know about it.  As far as the rest of the family is concerned, Pop is off training to avenge being defeated.  I doubt that we will see her for a while.  I think Mom put the scare into her, but there's no telling what mischief might come from Pop once she gets over her fear."

"I'll get an early warning system in place then.  Once I know what she looks like, I'll have my network keep an eye out for her," she replied.

Ranma hugged her and said, "Thanks, Biki-chan.  I knew I could count on you.  Nice birthmark, by the way."

Nabiki blushed again, and said, "I forgot I was changing when you knocked.  Hearing your choice of pronouns got me too excited to think straight.  Now, get out, so I can get dressed," she said, as she began to reach for the belt on her robe.  Ranma blushed as he ran out the door, shutting it behind him.

Ranma and Akane walked into Ucchan's after school was over.  Ranma was carrying a large metal cask under one arm.  "Yo, Ryoga, ya got a minute?" Ranma asked.  Akane glared at him.  Ranma looked at her, grinned sheepishly and tried again.  "Hi, Ryoga.  Do you have a minute?  There's something we need to talk to you about."

"Uh, sure, Ranma.  Hi, Akane.  There's a booth over here," Ryoga replied.

Akane answered, "Maybe we ought to go upstairs for some privacy.  It's about Jusenkyo."

Ukyo walked out of the back.  "Hi, Ranma, Akane.  You're looking pretty serious today."

"Oh, hi, Ucchan.  Yeah, we need ta, I mean, to talk to Ryoga.  Is it okay if we go upstairs?" Ranma asked.

Ukyo nodded and led that way to her apartment.  Once he got inside, Ranma carefully set the cask down.  "Man, that's heavy," he said.

After they sat down, Ukyo asked, "What's up, guys?"

Ranma hesitated for a while.  "Ryoga, while I wasn't directly responsible for what happened to you at Jusenkyo, I still feel like I owed you to try to come up with a cure.  I had a long talk with Cologne about the curses.  It's not real good news.  They lost the location of the spring of Drowned Man hundreds of years ago during one of their wars with a neighboring tribe.  Because of that, there is no cure that she knows of.  I'm sorry about that," he said.

Ryoga sighed and said, "Ranma, I didn't want to hear that.  You don't really know what it's like changing into something that most people think of as a dinner item."  He shuddered remembering far too many close calls.  Ukyo put her arms around him and hugged him in sympathy.

"You're right about that, Ryoga.  My curse allows me to at least stay human.  That's why I have a suggestion for you.  I can't give you a cure that will prevent you from changing when cold water hits you.  We did find out from Cologne that a different spring would cancel out the old curse and give you a new curse.  We've proven that works.  I have some water from the spring of Drowned Girl that I'll give you if you want," Ranma said.

Ryoga blanched.  "So instead of turning into a pig, I'd turn into a girl," he growled.

Akane said, heatedly, "Hey, what's wrong with being a girl?"

"She's got a point there, sugar," Ukyo growled as she hit Ryoga on the head.

Ranma chuckled, "That may not have been the best way to say that, Ryoga.  The way I look at it, you'd change into a human instead of a main course.  That's got to be better, any way you look at it.  Besides, it's not too bad being a girl," he teased, "At least most weeks, anyway."

"What do you think about it Ucchan?  This affects you as well," Ryoga said, "Would you be comfortable knowing I changed into a girl?"

Ukyo thought about it for a while and then replied, "I don't know, Ryoga.  It's funny, but I never put two and two together like that when I was after Ranma.  Ranma, what happens when you change?"

"Aside from the obvious physical change, you mean?" Ranma asked.  Ukyo nodded.  "There's not a lot of differences.  I mean, I still think of myself as a guy.  As far as I can tell, I'm pretty much the same person.  It's still easier for me to express emotions as a girl, but that may just be left over from the stuff Pop taught me about guys not showing emotion.  You, know that junk about real men don't cry, that sort of thing," he replied.

Ukyo mused, "So it would still be the same person I care for, just in a slightly different package.  What about you Akane?  How do you feel about Ranchan, when he's a girl?  Do you feel any different?"

Akane smiled and said, "As far as I'm concerned, Ranchan is still Ranchan.  I love the person inside, the rest doesn't matter.  He has been this way since I've known him anyway."

"You don't feel weird being in love with someone who's also a girl, do you?" Ukyo asked worriedly.

Akane smiled a wicked grin.  She came forward with passion burning in her eyes.  "But Ukyo, I've always found you attractive," she purred.  She tried to hug Ukyo, who looked appalled.

"Eek," Ukyo said, trying to fend off Akane.

Ranma said, sniffling, "But, but Acchan, I thought you said I was the only girl for you!"

Ryoga looked puzzled and then started laughing, as he caught the wink that Akane gave him.

Akane and Ranma both started laughing.  "Did you see the look on her face?  That really wasn't very nice, Acchan," Ranma howled.  Ukyo looked sheepish.

Akane smiled, and said, "Sorry, Ukyo.  I couldn't resist when you asked me that.  To answer your question, no, I haven't started liking girls that way.  I just decided that I wouldn't let the body Ranchan was wearing affect how I felt about him, that's all.  You'll have to decide for yourself if that works for you."

Ukyo took a deep breath.  "Ryo-chan, I know how much turning into a pig bothers you.  It was the one thing that I thought was weird about our relationship as well.  If this makes sense to you, I'd go for it.  It's not going to change my feelings for you," she said.  'Besides, I'd rather love a woman than a pig any day,' she thought to herself.

Ryoga looked at her and then took a couple of deep breaths.  He kissed Ukyo.  "Okay, let's do it Ranma.  You're right, I'd rather turn into a girl."  Then he smiled and added, "I bet I look cuter than you do, too."

"Ucchan, he's gonna need your help.  There's a lot that he needs to learn, and it would be better if you taught him.  It worked best for me to stay female most of the time for several weeks, maybe two months.  You know your body will feel strange for a while; your sense of balance will be messed up.  Things won't work quite the same way, either.  Get used to how you feel before you go back to mostly being male," Ranma said.  He walked over and picked up the cask.

Ryoga asked, "That it?"

Ranma nodded.  Ryoga gulped and said, "Well, let's get it over with."  He went into the bathroom and lay down in the tub.  Ranma followed and poured the water from the cask over Ryoga.  He set the cask down and stared at Ryoga.

"You know Ryoga, I'm glad I didn't take that bet," Ranma said to the extremely attractive brown haired girl sitting up in the tub, "Those fangs are really cute".  Ranma poured some hot water from the sink to change her back, and then poured cold water back on Ryoga.  Ranma carefully helped Ryoga out and handed her a towel.

After a few minutes, Ryoga walked out.  Akane and Ukyo both pouted, Ukyo saying, "This isn't fair.  Both of you look prettier as girls than we do."

Ryoga smirked, and said, "We're better built, too."

Ranma just groaned and said, "Ryoga, that was so not smart."  He watched Ukyo and Akane pummel Ryoga.  "Ukyo, you need to tell her about what it's like to be a girl.  I think it's best if we got out of here while you do.  Ryoga, if you want to talk about it later, come on by the house.  Come on, Acchan, we need to leave these two lovebirds alone, so Ukyo can pound some sense into Ryoga."

Akane looked at him in some surprise, and then giggled.  She waved bye to Ukyo and Ryoga, and dashed off with Ranma.  Ukyo stopped beating on Ryoga, mainly because it wasn't doing anything other than make Ryoga laugh.  Then she got an evil grin on her face as she realized what Ranma had meant about telling Ryoga what it was like to be a girl.

As Ranma and Akane left the restaurant, they heard an alto voice scream, "Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!"

Ranma looked at Akane, smirked and said, "I guess Ukyo just told her about periods."  He started walking faster down the street, almost pulling Akane along, as she giggled.

Early one morning, while Akane was out for her morning jog and Ranma and Nabiki were still upstairs, Nodoka's routine was interrupted by a knock on the door to the Tendo home.  Grumbling she walked to the front entryway and opened the door.  There stood revealed a well-dressed, somewhat portly middle-aged man and an attractive young woman about eighteen or nineteen dressed in an expensive looking white wedding kimono.

"Hello, welcome to the Tendo home.  How may I help you?" Nodoka asked politely.

The man bowed to her and said, "My name is Hitome Daikoku, and this is my daughter Kaori.  We are looking for a man by the name of Genma Saotome and I was led to believe that we might find him here."

"That person did at one time live here.  He made himself unwelcome however, and no longer does." Nodoka replied evenly, "Can I ask why you are looking for that person whose name we no longer mention?"

The man hesitated and said, "I'm sorry.  It has to do with a matter of honor."

"I see," Nodoka replied, "So what has that fool of an ex-husband done now?"

"Ex-husband?  Then you were married to Saotome!" the man exclaimed, "Then possibly you can help us Mrs. Saotome."

Nodoka's eyes grew cold as she said, "I no longer use that name.  I am Nodoka Himura, now."  She took a deep breath and then asked, "How can I help you?"

"Your husband," Mr. Daikoku began, and then started over seeing her eyes get even colder and begin to glitter.  "Your pardon, of course I meant to say, Saotome sold his son to me many years ago for a fish and some pickles, to be the husband for my daughter.  He stole him back that morning and disappeared.  I have searched off and on since then, and up until recently, I have had no word of where he might be.  I finally was able to track him down to this house.  I have come to find his son so that he might marry my daughter and fulfill the promise that he made," he continued.

"Up until two weeks ago he did live here, but he left after he lost the mastery of the Saotome School of Martial Arts.  How exactly did you find out that he was here?" Nodoka asked calmly.  She thought to herself angrily, 'How could he sell my son so many times?  I may have let him get away too cheaply.'

"My daughter and I were eating in a small café on the other side of Tokyo.  A middle-age woman that I had never seen before overheard us talking about finding Mr. Saotome.  She kindly told us that he and his son lived at the Tendo home here in Nerima.  Does his son still live here?" Daikoku replied.

A strong male voice answered, "Yes, I do."  Ranma approached from the living room and said, "I'm Ranma Saotome.  How can I help you?"

Mr. Daikoku replied, "As I was telling your mother, your father pledged you to me so that you would marry my daughter Kaori.  He sold you for a fish and some rice and pickles.  Now that we have found you again, we would like to set a date for the wedding."

Ranma looked sympathetically at the young woman and sighed.  "That won't be possible I'm afraid.  I no longer recognize that person as my father for several reasons.  One of then is that there was no honorable way to fulfill all of the engagements he arranged.  I repudiated all of the arrangements that he made.  I'm afraid that dishonorable cur scammed you.  You aren't even the first ones to track him down," Ranma said sadly.

Mr. Daikoku bristled and said in outrage, "He engaged you to more than one woman!"

Ranma replied calmly, "Yes, quite a few of them as a matter of fact.  Obviously, I don't feel bound to any of his agreements.  Besides, I already have someone that I'm in love with.  I'm sorry you got caught up in the mess that he made, but there's nothing that I can do to help you."

"You could marry my daughter," said Daikoku angrily, "That would certainly help!"

Akane said coldly from behind them where she had been listening, "I'm afraid that I wouldn't agree with that.  I'm certainly not going to share my husband with anyone!"

"And who might you be?" Daikoku said heatedly, missing the danger signs that Akane was sending.

Akane breathed deeply for a moment, regaining her calm, and then replied, "I am Akane Tendo, Ranma's wife.  This is our home and dojo."

Kaori interrupted and said, quietly, "Father, it's time to go.  These people aren't to blame for what's happened.  It's time we got on with our lives.  Besides, you know there's a boy that I like back home anyway."  She bowed politely and said, "Thank you for your kindness and understanding."

"Very well, daughter," her father said, his shoulders slumping.  He bowed formally to all of them and said, "Please forgive my intemperate remarks.  You are not responsible for the actions of another.  I must seek out Saotome to exact my vengeance."

"You have my blessing when you find him.  Pound him good," Ranma replied.

Mr. Daikoku and his daughter walked away from the Tendo home, while Akane came in and held Ranma.

"Just a bit premature with that wife business, weren't you Acchan.  After all, it's not August yet," Ranma said fondly.

Akane gazed at him fiercely and said, "You belong to me and me alone, Ranchan.  We may not have had the ceremony yet, but that's only a minor technicality!"

Nodoka frowned as she thought back to what had happened.  She said finally, "That woman who sent them here must have been your father, Ranma.  I think that she's trying to cause as much trouble as she can."

Ranma looked worried as he thought about that.  Then he looked at Akane and said simply, "Do we really need to wait until August, Acchan?  We could get married down at the town hall and then have the formal ceremony later."

Akane just nodded happily and replied, "If you are going to start having fiancées pop up again, the sooner we get married the better, Ranchan.  That way, they can't cause us anymore problems."

Ranma looked at his mother and asked, "I know this was earlier than we had considered.  Is Friday after school okay with you, Mom?  That'll give us a couple of days to get ready."

Nodoka smiled at the two of them and said, "You just meet us there after school.  I'll have everything ready for you then."  She hugged the two of them and said, "You two have a busy day ahead of you.  You better get ready for school."  Ranma and Akane kissed her on each cheek and then the two of them headed in for breakfast.  Nodoka gazed at them fondly as they disappeared into the dining area.


	37. Weddings and Other Things

Author's Note: There is a bit of a lime scene in this chapter.

Chapter 37 Weddings and Other Things

Just before they entered the building, Ranma turned and looked at his beautiful fiancée. "Nervous, Acchan?" he asked gently.

"Hai, just a little, Ranchan," Akane said with a sigh, "I know I want to do this, it's just a big step." Then she squared her shoulders as a smile lit her face. "I'm ready now. Let's go in and meet our parents," Akane said.

Ranma smiled again as he followed her through the door and down the hall to the town clerk where Nodoka and Soun were waiting patiently for them.

"Finally, the schools will be joined," Soun cried as Akane shook her head in dismay.

"Father, stop that. You're embarrassing us," Akane hissed at her father. Soun stopped crying as he saw the angry look his daughter was giving him. Nodoka just shook her head at the emotional outburst from both of the Tendos.

They turned to the town clerk who had been patiently waiting with a bemused look on her face. She handed over the appropriate forms that needed to be signed by the four people there. Ranma hesitated long enough to look at Akane and then quickly signed the forms where it needed the groom's signature. Akane smiled a slightly possessive smile, and also signed. Their parents signed both as witnesses and as parents giving permission for their underage children to wed.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Saotome. You're now husband and wife," the town clerk said as she notarized the forms.

Ranma grinned toothily and said, "Not quite yet." He pulled a box from his pocket and opened it, showing two wedding bands. Taking the smaller of the bands from the box, he placed it on Akane's ring finger, saying, "I love you, Acchan."

Akane removed the other ring and placed it on Ranma's ring finger as well, and said, "Ranchan, I love you." Then they kissed each other. Once they broke apart, Akane smirked and said, "Now, I feel like I'm married."

Nodoka hugged both of them, wiping tears from her eyes. "I'm so happy for the both of you. I'm glad this day finally came," she said with a teary smile.

Akane said softly, "Thanks, Mom," as she hugged Nodoka back.

"Well, son, take good care of my little girl," Soun cried, "She's you're responsibility now." He hugged his daughter and then held out his hand for Ranma to shake.

Ranma just smiled at him and said, "Akane and I are partners. We'll take care of each other." He ignored the outstretched hand and surprised Soun by hugging him. Ranma smirked and said, "Just don't start crying, Father, I don't want to change. You got your wish though, the schools are finally joined." He stepped back just in time as to avoid a soaking from the Tendo Waterworks Company.

"We'll meet you at home," Soun said, sniffling, "There's a small reception waiting for you with the rest of the family. We'll see you there." With that Soun and Nodoka walked off.

Ranma looked at Akane and said, "Well, wife, shall we race them there or let them get there first?"

Akane looked at her husband and giggled, "Well, we could stop under the bridge for a few minutes. I feel the need to kiss my husband some more."

Ranma's smile widened, and said, "I like the way you think, Acchan." Ranma bowed to the clerk who was openly laughing now. The two newlyweds walked off together, hand-in-hand. And of course, they stopped under the bridge for some serious kissing.

Ranma and Akane walked slowly from the town hall toward the Tendo home to pack for their first weekend as a married couple. Ranma couldn't believe they had actually gotten married, just filling out a few forms and signing a couple of lines didn't seem to say they were married. The kiss they had shared in the town hall had felt different, somehow, though. As they reached the door of the Tendo home, Ranma opened the door and then swept his wife up in his arms and carried her across the threshold.

"Ranchan, please put me down," Akane said, giggling at him.

"Hush, Acchan. This is just some weird Western custom I read about. It's supposed to be romantic," Ranma said gaily as he lightly put his wife down. He bent down and kissed his wife hungrily. She pressed her body up against him, trembling slightly. Then they broke apart laughing as their stomachs grumbled in unison. "You ready to face them?" Ranma asked quietly.

Akane laughed happily, saying, "Of course. They've been waiting for us to do this for a while. We owe them this party." Hand-in-hand, they walked into the dining area to see their family waiting with a huge banner, saying 'Congratulations, Akane and Ranma!'

As Ranma entered the dining area, his eyes began to glaze over looking at the number of people in there waiting for them, as well as the feast that was spread out on the table. 'If this is a **small **reception, I wonder what Mr. Tendo thinks a large reception looks like,' Ranma thought with a mental snicker, 'I'm glad everyone is here but it is a bit overwhelming.'

Everyone was there, the Tendo family and his mother, of course, Shampoo, Cologne, Mousse, Ukyo and Ryoga. He smiled briefly to see Ryoga there as a girl, but then shrugged as he remembered what he had told her the other day about getting used to that shape. The only person conspicuous by her absence was his Pop.

The crowd of people gathered around, each of them offering some form of congratulations. Kasumi was the first to reach him; she hugged him and then kissed him. With a wary eye on Akane, he accepted kisses from Shampoo, Ukyo and finally, Nabiki. As Nabiki kissed him, he teased her by saying; "I see you brought your business partner to the party." She colored prettily as she backed away. When Ryoga approached, she pretended to offer Ranma a kiss. Ranma growled warningly, and a cute pout appeared on Ryoga's face. Then she held out her hand; Ranma just shook his head and then pulled Ryoga into a hug, shocking them both. Akane accepted hugs and kisses from everyone, her face flushed with excitement. Finally, they were able to sit done and everyone got a chance to eat.

Kasumi had outdone herself. Somehow, her usual excellent food had become something better, as if she had poured out all of her happiness into the cooking she had done. The items that Shampoo and Ukyo had provided likewise were exquisite. The three of them beamed with happiness at the newly wedded couple. Ranma, of course, sat next to his wife. He ate mechanically, never taking his eyes off of the beautiful woman he had married. Akane's cheeks grew rosy as she welcomed the scrutiny of the man she had wed.

Kasumi could barely keep herself from giggling as she watched Ranma and Akane. Every time Akane would sneak a peak at her husband, she would blush and look quickly back down at the table, and then scoot closer to Ranma. Soon they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. Ranma stopped eating at that moment, his chopsticks halted in midair. Finally, he set the chopsticks down and just put his arm around his wife, holding her close. Akane nestled comfortably against his shoulder and listened to her friends and family talk. Eventually, everyone stopped eating and Soun rose and asked for everyone's attention as Kasumi brought out flutes filled with champagne. After the glasses were passed out, Soun raised his glass and said, "To the happy couple. May you have all the happiness you can. Congratulations, Son and Daughter.' After they had all clinked glasses, they sipped the champagne.

Akane whispered to Ranma, "I want to talk to Kasumi and then I think it is time for us to go." Ranma nodded and went upstairs while Akane followed Kasumi back into the kitchen.

Kasumi looked at her sister, and saw that she was trembling. "Don't be scared, Akane. This is what you've been wanting for a long time," she said kindly.

Akane smiled shyly and replied, "I am a bit nervous, Sis. I guess I thought I would have more time before all this happened. I want to be married to him. I need to be married to him, I couldn't be happier now that it finally has happened, but I don't know that I can make him happy."

Kasumi hugged her sister and said, "You two love each other so much you two almost glow. You can't help but make him happy." She kissed Akane gently on the cheek.

Akane whispered gratefully, "Thanks, Sis." Then she said in a stronger voice, "Thank you for everything you've done for me, Kasumi. You've been a great sister and friend. Now, though, I'd better go find my husband."

As Ranma walked up the stairs, he realized that his mother was following him. As he reached the top of the stairs, he waited at the landing for her to join him. She saw him standing there waiting for her, but she could tell that he was scared. "Ranma, what's wrong?" Nodoka asked as she followed him into Akane's bedroom.

"I'm just a little nervous. After all, I've never been married before and I don't want to mess this up. We're still so young after all. We're both months away from being eighteen and we have over a year left just to finish high school," Ranma said with a slight quaver in his voice.

Nodoka chuckled and said, "Ranma, every married couple feels that way. You two love each other. Just remember that and everything will be fine. You two will have your share of arguments, don't worry about that. You're both young, that's true, as well as proud and a bit headstrong, but just tell her that you love her often and you'll be surprised at how much that helps."

Ranma swallowed his fears and replied, "Thanks, Mom. She means so much to me, I don't want to disappoint her." He hugged her and then said, "I'd better get these bags downstairs, I don't think that I want to keep Akane waiting."

A brief smile flashed across Nodoka's face and then she said, "Excellent start, Ranma. A gentleman never keeps a beautiful woman waiting."

Ranma laughed as he carried the two suitcases downstairs. As he got to the bottom, Akane came out of the kitchen and joined him, taking the lighter of the two. Ranma took a deep breath and asked, "Are you ready?"

Akane laughed and said, "Yes. Father said to sneak out when we are ready." They shared a brief kiss and then left the house, headed over to Nodoka's house where they would spend the weekend alone.

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Ranma waited nervously in their bedroom, sitting up in their bed, waiting for his wife to join him. His heart was pounding, the palms of his hands felt damp. 'Sure,' he thought to himself, 'we've shared a bed together before but we've never **slept **together. Damn, pull yourself together, man.' His mind whirled, thoughts racing through his head faster than he could acknowledge them; much less make sense of them.

Finally, the door to the room opened and Akane walked in. She was dressed in a yellow nightie that left little to the imagination. The aureole around her nipples, the darker area where her legs joined, all caught his attention through the thin material it was made of. He groaned at the sight, the pent-up need that he had suppressed for so long making its presence felt. He breathed the word "Kawaii." Akane's eyes lit up as she heard her husband.

Akane walked over to the bed and joined her husband under the covers. They held each other, Ranma gazing still in wonder at Akane, still not completely believing that they were finally married. Then Akane kissed him, her tongue probing his mouth, and her arms pulling him closer to her. He lost himself in her kiss, and then, began to caress her back through the thin material. Finally, he slid his hands under the nightie and began caressing her back directly. The feel of his hands on her bare flesh was sending little sparks throughout Akane's body.

Akane pulled away slightly and began to slowly undo the laces holding her nightie together. As she did, the cloth slid down from her shoulders, baring her breasts. Akane moaned in pleasure as Ranma began to kiss her neck, and slowly made his way down her breast. Then using one hand, he began to slowly caress her other breast, causing her to body to arch, pressing herself harder into him. Finally, she could stand it no more and removed her nightie completely. Then she lay on her back and pulled her husband over her.

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As Ranma entered through the gates into the school grounds the next Monday, he began to sense something was wrong. The few students in sight were talking quietly to one another, but suddenly stopped talking as soon as they had appeared and looked nervously toward a tree on the grounds. "Be careful, Acchan," he murmured, "Someone is watching us from behind that tree."

As they neared the center of the yard, a figure dressed in samurai garb carrying a bokken, stepped out from behind the tree. Akane cursed under her breath as she recognized Tatewaki Kuno. "What do you want now, Kuno? Wasn't the broken arm and cracked ribs enough of a message to show you how utterly I despise you?" Akane growled angrily, "Why the hell did you get out of jail?"

"Ah, the beauteous Akane Tendo. Still under that sorcerer's spell, I see. Well, never fear, I, Tatewaki Kuno, the –erk" Kuno began. He was cut off by Akane's fist in his mouth.

"Kuno, I'm afraid that you have it all wrong," Ranma said, with a smirk, "She's not under my spell, I'm under hers. Why couldn't you have stayed away?" Ranma touched a couple of pressure points on Kuno's back, paralyzing him instantly. His weapon fell from his nerveless hands.

Akane said, "Get it through your thick skull, Kuno. I don't want to date you, I don't want to marry you, and I don't love you. In fact, I don't even like you. You made my life hell until Ranma came and chased all of those other perverts that followed you away. You were just too stupid to figure it out. Your very presence here disgusts me. I married Ranma last Friday, so stop trying to come between a man and his wife. That certainly isn't honorable."

Kuno couldn't believe what he was hearing, the fair Akane Tendo wed to that vile creature. "How could this be possible? Why would you deny me your love?" he asked in anguish.

"Didn't you listen, moron? I love Ranchan, he is the only man I ever loved," Akane spat, "Because of you, I almost became afraid of men. If it hadn't been for Ranma, I would have gotten ever more violent trying to prevent you and your pervert friends from attacking me. I could have seriously hurt someone just because of your delusions."

An angry looking Nabiki came storming out of the school. As she neared them, she looked in disgust at Kuno. "Did you forget about the restraining order, Kuno? The only reason you were out of jail is because of the bail money you paid. Guess what baka, you just violated the terms of your release as well as the restraining order. Ranma, Akane, I have this covered. Just go in, the police will be here shortly to take this moron away," she said, her eyes flashing, "I mean it, get you two. By the way, as a wedding present, no one knows yet. You owe me stories for that." They traded wicked grins.

Ranma and Akane reached their respective seats just before the final bell rang. The sensei walked in and sat down at her desk. She began to go through the drudgery of taking roll. As she said the name 'Saotome' she was pulled out of her apathy by the fact that two voices answered, 'Hai.' One obviously was female and the other male. Her head snapped up as she realized who the female voice had been. Akane was sitting there with an innocent expression on her face, her hands demurely sitting in her lap. Everyone was staring at her in amazement.

Akane said, "I'm sorry, sensei. I thought Nabiki had informed the office of my name change and got the records adjusted in the office last Saturday. Ranchan and I were married Friday," as she brought her left hand out from under the desk and displayed her ring. The silence in the room was absolute as everyone's jaw dropped. Then pandemonium erupted as all of the girls squealed in excitement and turned and looked at the couple. The boys all whistled their approval.

The sensei, being the wise person that she was, let the noise continue for a while, knowing that it would be hopeless to try to calm them down, slightly less possible than King Canute of Britain commanding the tides to stop coming in. Finally, after the din had dwindled to a dull roar, she rapped her desk and said, "That's enough, class. We do have a lesson to through today. IF there are no other surprises, then lets finish the roll call." The class settled down, though both Ranma and Akane knew that it was just the eye of the hurricane. Lunch was going to be a circus.

Ranma was correct. Lunch was a circus. He had tried to escape with his wife, but he had been cut off by several of Akane's girlfriends. She had smiled at him, and then reluctantly followed her friends outside. The displeasure showing on his face was enough to allow him to plow through the horde allowing him to sit near Akane, but he couldn't reach her through the crowd of girlfriends sitting around her. From the occasional snatch of conversation, and the rosy hue on Akane's cheeks, Ranma decided that maybe he didn't want to sit too close and hear what they were talking about. He was sure he would rather not know after he stopped to consider it. He moved away a few feet to where he couldn't overhear the conversation. Unfortunately, that allowed many of the boys to surround him and ask questions that he really didn't want to answer.

Finally, one less than bright senior got up enough courage to ask, "I bet she's good in bed. How about it, Ranma, huh?"

Ranma's face lost all expression as he swiveled his head to stare at the unfortunate boy. In an ice cold voice, he replied, "I hope I didn't hear what I thought I heard, because if I did, I might need to take offense at what I thought I heard." He cracked his knuckles to emphasize the word 'offense.' His stare pierced the fool who had uttered those words.

The victim opened his mouth and tried to speak, but nothing came out. Finally, he said, "I didn't say anything, honest!" Suddenly there was silence as the rest of the boys realized that the things that they wanted to ask about were not questions that Ranma was willing to answer, and in fact, could be hazardous to even ask.

Finally, the afternoon classes were over and Ranma and Akane could head on over to the Tendo home. As soon as they got there, Akane was ambushed by her sisters and dragged away to Nabiki's room to talk about the weekend. Ranma found Soun staring at his shogi board, sighing. Soun looked up, startled to see Ranma there. "Hello son, how was school today?" Soun asked.

Ranma smiled and said, "Aside from running into Kuno, and then the perverts at school asking questions that I wouldn't answer, it was about what I expected. How was your day?"

"After taking care of the town council meeting, I came back here. I found myself staring at this board, missing your father, and thinking," Soun replied, "You know that I gave this house and the dojo to you and Akane as a wedding gift. I filed those papers today while I was down there, as well. I made your mother and myself the trustees until you turn twenty-one, I hope that meets with your approval."

Ranma said quietly, "I know that was always your plan. I hope you know that I would have married Akane without that. The dojo means a great deal to her. So long as I can teach martial arts, it doesn't really matter to me where I am, but to her, it is a place of many memories. I care for it, of course, since it is the only real home that I have ever known. Thank you from both of us."

Soun smiled at the young man he was proud to call his son, even if it was only by marriage. "Well, I'll try not to run it into the ground while you two are away at college. I've come to enjoy the classes that I have been teaching. I'm glad you encouraged me to start teaching again," Soun said.

Ranma grinned, and replied, "You mean twisted your arm, doncha? I'm glad you're enjoying yourself though. You're a good instructor, I've learned a few things from you myself about teaching,"

"I will miss Saotome. Did he really have to leave?" Soun asked.

Ranma sighed, and said, "I'm afraid he did. He wasn't a really good person, you know. He did several things that I found out about later that weren't very honorable, the multiple fiancées being the least of those. We're better off with him gone for now. I'll miss him myself, though."

Author's Note: Again, thanks for all of the comments and reviews. All reviews are appreciated. More chapters to come.


	38. The Differences Between Boys and Girls

Chapter 38  The Difference Between Boys and Girls

A/N – Chronologically, this happens immediately after the scene in Chapter 36 with Ryoga and Ukyo

Ukyo slowly roused herself from sleep and gazed owlishly at the mop of long brown hair on the head next to her.  "Good morning, sugar," Ukyo said as she crawled out of the futon and made her way over to her closet to find the clothes for the day.  Ukyo hesitated, then shrugged her shoulders, thinking, 'Well, after yesterday, it doesn't matter.  Ryo-chan's a girl now and she's seen everything that I've got.'  Ukyo took her pajamas off, leaving her in clad in just her panties.

Ryoga squawked, saying, "Ucchan, what are you doing?"  Ryoga closed her eyes, but the memory of what she had seen brought a rosy hue to her cheeks.

"Ryo-chan, I know that you're still a guy inside that body, but you need to get used to this.  There are going to be times when you'll have to go to the public baths, like when we go to the beach," Ukyo said.  Then with an impish smile, "Besides, I kinda like showing you my body anyway," she admitted, as her cheeks turned pink.  "Anyway, after the show and tell we did yesterday, there isn't anything here that you haven't already seen," she finished.

Ryoga blushed even redder at that memory.  Thinking back to yesterday, when her entire life changed.  Ranma and Akane had left, leaving Ukyo to explain the facts of life to the newly transformed girl.

Flashback

As they watched Ranma and Akane leave the apartment, Ukyo turned to Ryoga and asked, "Okay, sugar.  Now that those two have left, leaving me to tell you about being a girl, what do you know about our bodies?"

Ryoga blushed, as she said, "Not much actually.  I just hope I don't get a nosebleed every time I undress.  Seriously, though, I can tell that I have a lot to learn just from how I feel."

Ukyo stood up and walked to her door and locked it.  "Okay, that's a start.  One thing Ranchan did tell me is that the change is complete.  That means, Ryo-chan, that you are a complete female in that body, from your head all the way down to your toenails.  Intellectually, I think you know that.  I doubt that you realize what that means, though.  Ranma very carefully skipped over this, but by being a woman, you ovulate and have periods, just like me."

"Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!!!" the shocked Ryoga screamed.

Ukyo giggled as she said, "Now you know why he ran away.  Don't worry, sugar, I'll be there for you when it happens."

Ryoga calmed down and then giggled.  "Ranma, the man among men, also has periods when he stays female for a while, doesn't he?"  Joining in the giggling, Ukyo just nodded.  Ryoga relaxed and replied, "Well, if he can live through it, I imagine that I can as well.  What else do I need to know that he carefully omitted?"

"That's it mostly.  You need to realize though that this body won't react the same way as the old body, so you'll need to get used to it.  First thing first, though, is for you to get used to the way it looks and feels.  Why don't you undress and see if you can handle that?" Ukyo replied.

Ryoga stammered, "Right here in front of you?"

"Sugar, you're a girl, now.  I know what that looks like remember.  I see my body every day," Ukyo said in exasperation.

Ryoga slowly began to unbutton her shirt.  Sliding it off her shoulders, she blushed as she saw her breasts for the first time.  Ukyo hesitated, and then removed her blouse and bra as well.  Ryoga's eyes bulged and her nose began to bleed.  Ryoga pinched her nose, willing it to quit.  Ukyo walked over and stood next to Ryoga comparing.  "Damn," Ukyo said, "Are you sure that wasn't the Spring of B-movie Bimbo Starlets that he poured on you?  Both you and Ranma are bigger than me!"

Ryoga brought her hands up, and slid her hands over breasts in wonder.  She blushed as she realized what she was doing and quickly dropped her hands.  "I'm sorry, Ucchan.  I'm very nervous about this.  Maybe changing curses was a mistake," Ryoga said.

"No sugar, this isn't a mistake, you're still the person I love," Ukyo said.  Heedlessly, Ukyo hugged Ryoga, who promptly fainted from the feel of Ukyo's bare breasts against hers.  "Sorry, sugar, I wasn't thinking," Ukyo whispered as she laid Ryoga back on the couch.  Ukyo sat there, lost in thought, waiting for Ryoga to come to.

Ryoga roused, and opened her eyes.  She found that she was staring at Ukyo's eyes and almost lost herself in the worry and love she saw there.  Ryoga reached up and kissed Ukyo, who froze for a second and then returned the kiss.  Blushing, Ukyo pulled away and mused, "Well, that wasn't bad.  I definitely like it better when you're a guy when you kiss me, but I liked that."

Ryoga blushed as she realized that she had just kissed Ukyo.  "I'm sorry, Ucchan, I guess I forgot."

"That's okay sugar.  So long as we both enjoyed it, I don't care what body you're wearing.  Speaking of which, lets see what else you got," Ukyo said.

Continuing to blush, Ryoga took off her pants and boxers.  Staring at the dark fuzz covering her groin, Ryoga felt her hands involuntarily moving to check what was missing.  She froze, thinking to herself, 'Okay, now I'm officially freaking out!'  She asked, her voice quavering, "Uh, is this what I'm supposed to look like?"

"Oh, for Kami's sake, did you not get any sex education while you were in school?" Ukyo fumed.

Ryoga bashfully nodded her head and said, "I caught a few classes, but we only learned about guys.  I went to an all-boys school for junior high, and that was the last school I attended, remember?"

Ukyo sighed.  "Damn, remind me to take you over to Doctor Ono's clinic later," she said, "Wait here a minute."  She disappeared into the bathroom and then several minutes later came out with some supplies.

Ryoga spent several uncomfortable minutes while Ukyo went over the details of her new gender, and then nearly climbed the walls as Ukyo described what the various feminine products that she had brought out were used for.  It had suddenly registered what becoming fully female meant at that point.  Once that happened, Ryoga started shivering, almost in fear.

Ukyo held Ryoga, waiting for her to calm down.  Finally, Ryoga collapsed into Ukyo's arms, the worst over with.  Ukyo said softly, "Go ahead and get ready for bed.  There's a set of pajamas that you can borrow if you want."  Ryoga got up and slowly entered the bedroom, where she changed into the pajamas that Ukyo had mentioned.  Ukyo followed and changed as well, and then led Ryoga by the hand back into the living room, where she poured the two of them some sake.

"This is still got to be better than turning into a pig, Ryo-chan.  Really, if we women can put up with this, surely you can," Ukyo said softly, as she stared at the still scared Ryoga.

Ryoga slowly raised her eyes, after gulping her sake, and said, "Yes, Ucchan.  Turning into a pig was no picnic.  I'm strong enough to get through this.  I have to admit, I'm glad Ranma didn't tell me everything up front, though, because I'm not sure I could have gone through with it.  I'm also glad I have a girlfriend like you to help me through as well."

Ukyo hesitated and then said, "One of the things that Akane told me is that you shouldn't try to avoid having that time of the month.  Apparently Ranma tried to skip it once it started by changing back into his male form.  The next time he was in his female form and her period came,  it was extremely painful."  Ukyo held her arms out, and Ryoga gladly fell into them.

Ryoga was silent for a while and then giggled.  Ukyo raised an eyebrow and asked,  "A yen for your thoughts."

"I just realized something, and I wondered if it will happen to us as well.  I've noticed that Ranma and Akane tend to switch roles depending on whether Ranma is a boy or a girl.  He still wants to protect Akane either way, but aside from that, when he is a she, Akane tends to be more of a leader in the relationship," Ryoga said, "I think I've seen some of the same tendencies with you, not that I'm complaining mind you.  It's kinda nice being taken care of and you seem to slide into that role very easily.  I definitely could get used to that."

"I think in their case, it's a definite role reversal because he is so much smaller as a girl.  You stay pretty much the same size, fortunately.  But yeah, I've noticed that I feel more protective of you like this," Ukyo said tenderly.

Ryoga leaned over and kissed Ukyo.  Then she said, "Ucchan, thanks for seeing me through this.  It means a lot to me that you love me enough to put up with my curse.  I don't know if I've told you that enough.  I love you so much it hurts."

"This has been an event filled day, sugar," Ukyo said, "I don't know about you, but I think I'm ready for bed."  She stood up, and then held out her hand, saying, "Come on sugar, my bed is big enough for both of us."

Ryoga looked at her in surprise, and asked, simply, "Why?"

"You look like you still need to be held, sugar.  Don't give me any of that macho attitude, either, you're not built for it right now," Ukyo replied.

Ryoga smiled quickly, and said, "Thanks Ucchan.  I wanted to ask, but I was afraid that you would take it the wrong way."

Ukyo said, "Sugar, I've thought about you sharing my bed for some time now.  I have to admit this wasn't exactly the image I had in mind though."  Ryoga took her hand and stood up and they walked hand in hand into the bedroom.

End Flashback

"Come on Sugar.  Hey, Earth to Ryoga, it's time for you to get up," Ukyo called bringing Ryoga out of her memories.

"Sorry, Ucchan.  I was just thinking about yesterday," Ryoga replied as she pulled herself from the warmth of the bed.

Ukyo smiled as she said, "You're taking everything surprisingly well, Ryo-chan.  I halfway expected you to wake up screaming this morning once everything sunk in from yesterday."

"Well, remember I spent over a year changing into a pig.  The first few times that happened did knock me for a loop.  This isn't anywhere near as traumatic a change, plus now I've got you to help me work through it.  It's amazing how much that helps," Ryoga said to her girlfriend, gazing at her fondly.  She walked over to Ukyo and hugged her, holding her tightly, ignoring the feel of Ukyo's breasts through the thin material of the pajamas.  "So long as I have you and we can do this, I can handle anything," Ryoga continued, "Now you go shower while I go downstairs to find something to wear."

"Bring up all of your stuff, Ryo-chan, you're moving in with me," Ukyo said, "I've got plenty of room in the closets for your clothing.  Most of your shirts and pants will still fit you reasonably well, based on what you were wearing yesterday when you changed.  We'll still need to go out and buy you several things, though.  You can't wear much of my stuff, our dimensions are too different."  She kissed Ryoga lightly on the cheek and headed for the bathroom.

Ryoga followed her out of the bedroom and followed the colored tape that Ukyo had finally placed on the floor a few days ago.  Ryoga was glad that she had come up with the idea.  So long as she followed the correct color-coded tape, she didn't get lost walking from room to room in the restaurant.  After making her way to the small cubby off of the kitchen that she had called her room, Ryoga packed up the several items into her backpack, and rolled up the pad that she had been sleeping on.  After hoisting the backpack onto her back, she carried the heavy load easily up the stairs and to their apartment.  Ryoga stopped with her hand on the doorknob as her face heated up with pleasure at that thought.  'I like the sound of that,' Ryoga thought, 'Our apartment.'

Ryoga went on in and found Ukyo already in the bedroom, putting on the outfit that she had selected.  Ryoga had noticed that except for when she was cooking, Ukyo had started wearing more and more feminine clothing.  Ryoga began putting her clothing away in the closet, leaving out the pants and shirt that she wanted to wear, as well as one of her yellow polka-dotted bandanas.  After exchanging a hug and a quick kiss, Ukyo headed downstairs to begin preparing breakfast, leaving Ryoga to straighten up the apartment after she got dressed.  Once Ryoga was finished, she headed downstairs to see if Ukyo needed any help, but she was just putting the dishes of food out.

After they finished breakfast, and cleaned up the kitchen, the two of them headed off to the mall.  Ukyo made sure she was holding onto Ryoga's hand so that the lost girl couldn't wander off.  Once they arrived at the mall, Ukyo took Ryoga around to several of the clothing stores.  She gently cajoled Ryoga into trying on several plain skirts and blouses, recognizing that Ryoga would balk at anything too girlish.  Ryoga actually began to enjoy herself, though it was mostly because of Ukyo's high spirits and the fact that Ukyo insisted on modeling several outfits for Ryoga as well.

During one visit to the dressing room to try on a skirt, Ryoga began to giggle.  Ukyo asked, "Okay, what's so funny, Sugar?"

"Well, it suddenly struck me as funny that you're the one helping me try on these clothes.  After all, up until recently, you mostly wore men's clothing.  I'm just glad your tastes in clothing are still pretty mild.  While you've started wearing some frilly things, you haven't gone overboard," Ryoga answered.

Ukyo giggled in response.  "I know I spent a long time pretending to be a boy, Sugar, but I'm just taking my time to get my new wardrobe.  Obviously, you haven't seen the latest dress that I bought," she said, "It definitely shows that I'm one hundred percent woman."

Finally, Ukyo said that she was satisfied with what they had bought.  Ryoga had selected a few blouses that she could wear with her existing pants as well as a couple of skirts and one nice dress that Ukyo insisted she buy.  Ryoga picked up a pair of sports bras as well as a regular bra to wear with the dress.

As they were walking out of the woman's section, a plain, white blouse with a yellow polka-dotted scarf loosely knotted around it caught Ryoga's eye.  "I've got to have that Ucchan for when I can't wear this bandana," Ryoga enthused to Ukyo's private amusement.

"Go ahead, Sugar.  You're right, that is your trademark look," Ukyo said with a smile, "Nobody would recognize you without it."  Ryoga smiled her thanks at Ukyo as she browsed through the blouses to find one the right size.  Finding one, and then selecting a scarf, Ryoga walked over to the register and made her purchase.

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Shampoo walked into Ucchan's Restaurant, through the back door, ready to start cooking for the day.  To her surprise, Ukyo and Ryoga weren't downstairs preparing the ingredients for the items on the menu.  She made her way over to the cubby where Ryoga slept and discovered that his things were missing and the pad was rolled up.  'That's odd,' she thought, "He didn't say anything about leaving.  I wonder if it had anything to do with what Ranma and Akane were over here for.'  Finally she shrugged her shoulders, consigning the mystery to something she would ask about later.  She began pulling out the vegetables and meats that she needed to cut up for the ramen and soups that they had on the menu.  As she came back from the refrigerator with the second load, the back door opened and a breathless Ukyo rushed in, followed by a strange girl.  The girl had long, brown hair, pulled back by a yellow polka-dotted bandana, carrying several packages.  Shampoo thought she looked strangely familiar.  The girl was grinning at Ukyo, showing two little fangs as she smiled.

Shampoo's eyes widened in shock as the bandana, hair color and fangs suddenly clicked in her mind.  "Aiyee, that's why Ranma wanted that second cask of Nyannichuan water!" she screamed.  The girl jumped and spilled her packages.  "Sorry, but you're Ryoga, right?"  Shampoo asked.  At Ryoga's nod, Shampoo said apologetically, "Ranma and Akane didn't say anything about this, and it surprised me."  She set the tray of food down on the counter and asked, "So how does it feel?"

Ryoga giggled and said, "Well, except for still feeling top heavy, it hasn't been bad.  I need to do some sparring later to see how that feels, since I can tell that my hips don't move the same way.  By the way, don't let anyone else know about this.  I want to get used to all of this without interference."

"Sure, Ryoga," Shampoo replied.  Then she snickered.

"Okay, what's so funny?" Ukyo said.

"You two are getting married one of these days, aren't ya?" Shampoo asked.

"We've talked about getting married some, but I haven't actually asked her yet, but I hope so," Ryoga replied.

"Well, I was just wondering which of ya was gonna wear the wedding dress," Shampoo said, giggling.

Ryoga and Ukyo exchanged smiles and then Ryoga said, "We'll flip a coin.  Heads I'll wear it, and tails, Ucchan will."

"Very funny, Sugar," Ukyo said with a smile.

"We'd better finish getting ready for the lunch crowd," Shampoo said, looking at the clock.  The three of them hurriedly prepared the various ingredients.  Ukyo started preparing her batter for her okonomiyaki, while Shampoo started water on to boil for her ramen noodle dishes.  Ryoga started a pot of broth to boil for the soup.

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A few days later, Ranma and Akane entered the restaurant after school.  Ukyo waved at them from the grill and called, "Hi you guys, find yourself a place to sit and we can talk when I'm done here."

"Sure, Ucchan," Ranma replied as they found a booth in the back of the restaurant and sat down.

Ryoga came in from the back carrying an order of soup and ramen for one of the tables.  Once she delivered them, she stopped by Ranma and Akane and sat down with them.  She was wearing her new white blouse and scarf, with her hair pulled back loosely.

"Hey buddy, we just came by to see how you were doing," Ranma said, "Now that you've had a few days to get used to it, we wanted to know if you were okay still."

Ryoga smiled and said, "I think I'm handling this pretty well.  Ucchan talked me through all of the things you carefully didn't tell me about.  You were right though, if I have to have a curse, this is way better than being a pig.  Ucchan never said anything about it, but I could tell that it bothered her.  I guess that's the reason I never proposed to her before."

"Well you certainly seem to have adjusted to a woman's body a lot quicker than I did," Ranma said with an easy smile.

Ryoga grinned and answered, "You don't mean I did something better than the great Ranma Saotome."  The three friends laughed at that.  Ukyo walked over to see what was so funny.

"Good, now that both of you are here, the other thing that we wanted to let you know is that we are getting married this Friday after school," Akane said.

"That's great, you two!" Ryoga exclaimed, a big smile lighting her face.

Ukyo asked, "I thought the two of you were going to wait?  I'm happy for you, but isn't it a bit sudden?"

Ranma grimaced briefly, and replied, "Apparently Pop is trying to cause problems still.  Yesterday another fiancée showed up at the house and it sounded like Pop was the one who pointed them our way.  We decided the best thing was to go ahead and get married now instead of later.  That way, if more of them show up, it'll be too late."

Akane blushed and added, "Besides, we're both getting tired of taking cold showers.  Anyway, Father is planning a small reception and we want the two of you there."

"We'll both be there, Sugar.  We wouldn't miss it for the world," Ukyo said.  She hugged Ranma and Akane in congratulations and then looked up as more people entered the restaurant.  "Okay, looks like the break is over.  I'll see you two at school tomorrow and you can fill me in on the details then.  Come on Ryo-chan, time to earn our keep."

"Okay, see you then," Akane said as she stood up.  Akane and Ranma headed toward the door, Ryoga headed back to the kitchen to check with Shampoo and Ukyo walked over to greet the new customers.

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Friday afternoon, Ukyo and Ryoga closed up the restaurant early.  Shampoo had left earlier, taking a portion of the food that they had prepared.  Ukyo had taken considerable pains with both of their appearances.  Ryoga was in her new dress, with her hair brushed back, flowing loosely down her shoulders.  Fortunately, the yellow scarf went well with the dress, so she was wearing it loosely around her neck.  Ukyo had changed into one of her new dresses, and had twirled around showing it off to Ryoga.  Catching her by the waist, Ryoga held her tight, and gazed into her eyes.  "Ucchan, you are beautiful, have I told you that lately?"

"Yes, but I still love hearing you tell me that, Sugar," Ukyo replied as she kissed her girlfriend.  After several long moments, they parted, Ryoga breathing hard.  The two girls headed downstairs to the kitchen, where they picked up the remainder of the food that they had prepared.  They quickly made their way to the Tendo home, and knocked on the door.

Kasumi came to the door and opened it, to find Ukyo and a strange girl carrying boxes of food standing there.  "Hi, Ukyo, come on in.  Then you can introduce me to your friend," Kasumi said pleasantly.  Ukyo and Ryoga entered the hall, taking their shoes off and headed off to the kitchen to drop off their food.  Kasumi entered the kitchen, followed by Nabiki.

"Hi Ukyo, nice dress," Nabiki said as she tried to sneak a taste, only to get her hand swatted away by Kasumi.

"You can wait, Sis, until we serve the food," Kasumi chided gently.  Then turning to Ryoga, she asked, "Are you a friend of Ranma or Akane?"

Ryoga replied, "Yes, I'm a friend of both of them actually."

Nabiki said, "I haven't seen you with them though, so who are you?"

Ryoga pouted prettily as she said, "You don't recognize me?"

"Oh my," Nabiki said, as she noticed the yellow polka-dotted scarf for the first time, "You're Ryoga!!"  Nabiki face-faulted in shock.

"Er, yes, I guess you could say I had a bit of a makeover," Ryoga said simply.

"How long have you been like this?" Kasumi asked.

Ryoga said, "A little over a week.  The four of us talked this over and I decided I didn't want to be cursed to change into a piglet anymore.  You can't imagine how helpless I felt when I changed before.  This is much better all around."

"Why didn't anyone tell us about this?" Nabiki demanded.

"Because I asked them not to.  I wanted some time to get used to how everything works, and to learn how to be a proper woman, before I came out in public," Ryoga answered, "I wanted to make sure I was comfortable with who I am now."

Nabiki frowned and asked, "But why are you still a girl?  I mean you can change back into a guy can't you?"

"Ranma suggested that I stay this way as much as possible for at least a month.  But yeah, I can change back.  Ucchan and I would really be disappointed otherwise," Ryoga said, with a giggle.

Ukyo blushed, and then swatted Ryoga.  "Baka, don't embarrass me," she said.

"Ouch, that hurt," Ryoga complained.

Nabiki snickered, and said, "Oh, the poor mistreated martial artist can't handle a little pain."

Nodoka stuck her head in the kitchen and said, "Ranma and Akane are here finally.  We can get the reception started."


	39. A New Teacher in Town

Chapter 39 A New Teacher in Town

A/N:  This chapter rejoins the original timeline from the end of chapter 37.  This chapter starts the same night that chapter 37 ended.

Later that night, Nabiki and Mousse made their way back to the Tendo home, walking arm in arm, after enjoying a peaceful dinner at one of Nabiki's favorite restaurants.  As they neared the gate, Nabiki turned to Mousse and said, "Mo-chan, thanks for taking me out to dinner and dancing tonight.  I really enjoyed your company."

"You're welcome, Nabiki.  I had a good time as well.  You're a very good dancer, by the way," Mousse replied.

Mousse leaned down and kissed Nabiki, holding her tightly to him.  She melted into the kiss, kissing him passionately.  As the kiss continued, Nabiki became aware of a feeling of warmth, spreading throughout her body.  Finally, they separated, both of them breathing hard.  "Mousse," Nabiki purred, "that felt wonderful, and I wish we didn't have to stop, but I'm not ready.  You've become very special to me, a very good friend, but I don't want to rush this relationship.  I hope you understand."

"Nabiki, I'm not sure where I want us to go either.  I know I care for you a great deal, but I'm unsure of myself right now.  I don't even know what I want, except for you to be happy," he replied gently.

"Mousse, you make me happy," Nabiki said.  She looked at him shyly, and then returned to the hug.  Finally, she sighed, and said, "I'm afraid that it's late.  I need to go in, and get to sleep.  School is going to be entirely too early in the morning."  She quickly kissed him, and then entered through the gate.  Mousse watched her walk away, and then turned and left.  Neither of them had been aware of the on-looker, hiding in the shadows across the street.

Shampoo looked downcast as she watched the two kissing in front of the gate.  'Xian Pu, you have no one to blame but yourself.  You told Muu-tsu that you didn't want him, and would never love him.  So why are you feeling so bad seeing him kissing Nabiki?' she thought to herself.  She forced herself to watch the two of them, wondering where the pang in her heart was coming from.

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Ranma had decided to fix breakfast for the first meal in what was now their home and had banished his mother, Akane and Kasumi to the furo.  He brought the breakfast meal into the dining area as Nabiki wearily made her way downstairs.  He smiled at the half-asleep Nabiki as she dropped to the floor and sat slumped over.  Akane, Kasumi and Nodoka came in from the furo, freshly scrubbed and wide-awake, giggling at something that Ranma decided he didn't want to know about based on the speculative look that Kasumi had sent his direction.  Tofu, Soun and Shampoo were already waiting patiently for their meal.  After placing the dishes on the platform, Ranma kissed his wife and was rewarded by a comment from Nabiki.

"Ooh, gross, stop that.  Some of us are trying to eat," Nabiki said in disgust.

"What's the matter, Biki-chan?" Ranma asked innocently.

Nabiki groaned at him and said, "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and I don't need to see the two of you start that again this morning."

Akane looked puzzled, and asked, "Why didn't you get a lot of sleep?"

"It was bad enough with Kasumi and Tofu, but you two are extremely loud, Sis.  I didn't know that you were a screamer," Nabiki said.

Kasumi said, "Nabiki, that isn't nice!"

Ranma blushed and said, "I don't think that it was Acchan."  Akane giggled at the expression on Nabiki's face.

Nabiki stared at them for a long moment, and then banged her head several times on the table.  She mumbled, "That was way too much information.  I really didn't need to hear that, Ranma."

"Sorry Sis.  We'll try to be quieter next time," Akane said, as she blushed.

Once they finished their breakfast, and the dishes were clean, the four teenagers picked up their school bags and bentos and headed off to school.  Nabiki and Shampoo pulled away from the slowly moving newlyweds, who were walking hand-in-hand, sneaking kisses when they thought no one was looking.  Once they were far enough away from them not to be overheard, Nabiki grinned at Shampoo and said, "I swear, you'd think those two thought they invented sex."

Shampoo giggled as she replied, "I'm just glad the guestroom is as far away as it is.  I got plenty of sleep, myself.  With as much noise as those two were making though, I'm surprised ya haven't tried ta sneak someone into your room.  Nobody would know that ya two were making out."

Nabiki tried to look shocked, as she answered, "I'm not really dating anyone right now, Shampoo."

Shampoo asked hesitantly, "What about Mousse?  I thought you two were dating."

Nabiki replied, "Mousse and I are just business partners, that's all, Shampoo."

Shampoo said, "Oh really, that was a pretty passionate kiss you were giving your business partner last night outside the gate.  What would ya two be doing if ya liked him?"

Nabiki blushed, and then retorted, "What were you doing watching us?  I thought you didn't care what Mousse did?"  'I wonder why she's concerned about Mousse?' she thought.  Nabiki wasn't sure, but it sure sounded like Shampoo was a bit jealous

"I was just late coming back from Ucchan's when I saw the two of you.  I didn't want to interrupt what you were doing, is all.  He certainly doesn't mean anything to me," Shampoo said insincerely.

"That's good to know, Shampoo.  Sounds like what we need to do is find you someone to date, especially now that you're free from Saotome," Nabiki said with a smirk.  'Yep, she's jealous,' Nabiki thought, hiding her concern from her friend and now apparent rival.

Shampoo put on her best bimbo expression and said, "Shampoo want date with real man, not pervert boys at high school."

Nabiki and Shampoo giggled the rest of the way to school.  As they reached the schoolyard, the two girls separated, Nabiki heading to her classroom, while Shampoo met Ukyo at the steps outside.

As Shampoo and Ukyo headed upstairs, Shampoo asked, "Where's Ryoga, Ukyo?  Is he skipping school?"

Ukyo grimaced and replied, "She refused to come to school while she's a girl.  I've got a note from Dr. Tofu saying that Ryoga is ill.  I'll bring the schoolwork home each day and then bring them back once they are done.  She made a good point about how awkward it would be to pass her off as someone else for the next two months."

As Akane entered the schoolyard, with Ranma holding her hand, she overheard some of the boys talking.  One of them was asking, "Did you hear?  They've hired a new homeroom teacher for the junior class."

Another boy replied, "Yeah, I hear she's some monster of a teacher.  She cleaned up three schools full of misbehaving students."

A boy she recognized from homeroom said, "But Daisuke, do we have any delinquents in this school?"

"Not since Ranma and Akane got married, Hiroshi," Daisuke said, "Once that happened, and Kuno was arrested, things seem to have settled down."

"So why would this teacher be coming here then?" Hiroshi wondered.

Daisuke shrugged his shoulders and said, "Maybe the vice principal hadn't figured it out yet."

A very cute young girl, dressed in a knee length dress, wearing a sweater, walked into the schoolyard.  She barely looked old enough to be a student at the high school.

"Who's that girl?" Daisuke asked, "Man, she's really cute."

'I wonder if she's a transfer student,' Akane thought, 'She's dressed pretty casually.'

The girl walked up to Akane and Ranma and asked, "Excuse me, could you tell me where the principal's office is?  I don't want to be late my first day."

Akane smiled and said, "Ranma and I will take you there.  Won't we Ranma?"

"Sure, Akane.  Hi, like she said, I'm Ranma Saotome and this is my wife Akane.  The principal's office is this way," Ranma said as he led the way into the building, "Are you a new student?  To be honest you actually look too young to be in high school."

The young girl giggled, and then said, "Oh, excuse me, I forgot to introduce myself.  My name is Hinako Ninomayi and I'm the new homeroom teacher for class 2-E."

Akane and Ranma face-faulted.  "Uh, now I'm really confused.  Aren't you way too young to be a teacher?" Akane asked.

"Appearances can be deceiving.  Of course, I was thinking much the same about you two.  Aren't you too young to be married," Ms. Ninomayi replied.

Akane blushed prettily, and answered, "Like you said, appearances can be deceiving.  We got married last Friday."

"Here's the vice principal's office, Ms. Ninomayi.  It sounds like you're supposed to be our homeroom teacher, so we'll wait here and then show you the way," Ranma said, opening the door to the office.

"That's very nice of you, Mr. Saotome," the girl said, "I'll remember your kindness, both of you."  She left them, entering the office and closing the door behind her.

Akane asked, "You're being awfully polite to her for some reason, Ranchan.  Why is that?"

"I sensed her chi as she walked with us.  There's something very strange about it and I was curious.  Besides, if those boys were right about her being brought in to improve discipline, it wouldn't hurt for us to be on her good side," Ranma said with a brief smile.

Akane snickered and asked, "What do you mean us?  I'm a good girl."

"Right!  Who was it who used to have to beat up all of the boys just to get into class?" Ranma said with a laugh.

The two of them stood there laughing together.  Finally, Ms. Ninomayi came back out to find the two teens laughing.  "Amazing, according to the vice principal, you two are some of the delinquents that I'm supposed to be watching.  You two seem to be nice enough.  I wonder why he said you two were trouble," she asked the two teens, puzzled.

"We were just laughing about that very thing.  Last year, one of the upperclassmen said that anyone who wanted to date Akane had to beat her in a fight, so Akane spent several weeks having to fight off a bunch of unwelcome suitors," Ranma said, leading the way to the homeroom.

"And then Ranma came, and interfered with their fun, chasing most of them off.  That same upperclassman, named Kuno, took violent exception to him.  Kuno fancied himself as a kendo expert, and kept attacking us with his bokken, so the two of us took turns having to beat him up," Akane continued, "Since the school refused to stop the harassment, I guess we got branded as troublemakers.  So far this school year Kuno has attacked Ranma with a real sword once and then again yesterday with his bokken.  Kuno's in jail now, because of those attacks.  Since he's gone, we shouldn't have any more trouble," Akane replied.

"Right, except for those perverted boys who still want to ask questions that I won't answer," Ranma said, under his breath in disgust.

Unfortunately, Ms. Ninomayi had extremely good hearing and asked, "What kind of questions would those be, Mr. Saotome."

Ranma blushed, looking at Akane, and replied, quickly, "I'd rather not say."

"I think I understand, Ranma.  You're right, those are questions that you shouldn't have to answer," she replied softly.

Ranma sighed in relief as they reached the classroom.  "Here's our classroom, sensei," Akane said, "Again, welcome to our school."  Akane opened the door and the three of them entered.  Ranma and Akane made their way over to their desks, while Ms. Ninomayi went to the teacher's desk at the head of the classroom.

"Attention, students!  My name is Hinako Ninomayi.  I'm your new homeroom teacher.  Ms. Higurashi left on sabbatical and I have been asked to take her place.  Now I'll call the roll.  Please answer when I call your name," the young-looking girl began.

The entire room, with the exception of Ranma and Akane, face-faulted.  One boy, more foolish and impolite than the rest, laughed out loud, and said, "Who are you trying to kid?  You can't possibly be a teacher; you're only twelve or thirteen.  You need to go back home to your mommy!"  He approached the desk, threateningly.

Ranma stood up, and yelled, "Hiro, sit down.  She is too our new teacher.  Show her respect, or you'll be learning to fly."

"Thank you, Ranma, but I can handle this!  I know how to handle delinquents like this," Ms. Ninomayi said calmly.  Pulling a five-yen coin out of thin air, she yelled, "Happo Go-en Satsu!"  Suddenly the boy's aura was sucked out of him, leaving him limp, while at the same time, the young girl grew quickly into an attractive, voluptuous, twenty-something young woman, straining at her now suddenly very tight clothing.

"Wow, she transformed!" Akane gasped in disbelief.

"What on earth was that technique?" Ranma said, his eyes wide.

"Have you had enough, naughty boy?  You have glimpsed the ultimate technique of the Anything Goes School, Eight Treasures of the Five Yen attack," Ms. Ninomayi purred seductively.

'Anything Goes School?!' Ranma thought.

Ranma could hardly stand class, waiting for it to end.  His mind was racing because of what he had seen and heard.  He thought, 'Our fathers said that they represented the only two branches of the Anything Goes School.  Who is she really, and who taught her that?  I have to find out!'  During the long morning, he watched carefully as the teacher drained three other students that she decided were acting as delinquents.  After seeing how weak they were after it happened, he swore to himself that she would never think of him as a delinquent.

The class bell rang signifying the lunch period was starting.  Ranma rushed to the front of the classroom and asked politely, "Sensei, our fathers always swore that they were the only two masters of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts.  But this morning, you stated that what you did was from that same school.  If I could, I'd like to talk to you after school and find out more about where you learned your techniques?  I mean if that's all right with you, that is?"

"A private conference?" the still adult teacher asked, "Certainly, we can talk after school.  I'd like to thank you for your offer of help as well, even though it wasn't needed."

"Your welcome, sensei.  Acchan and I will meet you after school, then," Ranma said as he bowed.

Akane followed Ranma out and asked, "Why did you want to talk to her after school, Ranchan?"

"A couple of reasons, Acchan.  One is what she said about her technique being of the Anything Goes School.  What she did was not a technique that I've ever heard of, much less seen, before.  The other reason is that I noticed something about her chi that really bothers me now.  Remember, I told you before that there was something strange about it?  When she drained Hiro, and the others, I sensed something wrong.  I want to try to convince her to see Doc because I'm not sure how healthy she is," Ranma replied.

Akane gasped and asked, "What do you mean by that, Ranchan?"

Ranma answered somberly, "I'm not real sure.  While she's in her adult form, her aura looks normal, but when she is a child, her chi seems to show that she is ill, maybe even dying."

"That's not good, Ranchan," Akane said, "But what can we do to help?"

Ranma said thoughtfully, "I don't know, dear.  That's why I want to talk to her to find out more about the technique she used and where she learned it.  If it is indeed part of our schools' lore, than maybe your father will know about it.  I'm sure what ever causes her to revert to being a child is what is causing the imbalance in her chi. Maybe he knows how to fix it."

"This is my father you're talking about, Ranchan.  I doubt he knows anything," Akane said sadly.

"There's got to be something we can do.  Doc knows more about this stuff than I do, maybe he'll come up with something," Ranma said.

--------------------------------------

After school, Ranma and Akane met their teacher back in their classroom.  "Sensei," Ranma began, "How did you learn that technique?  Akane and I have never heard about it before, and I'm now the master of the Saotome branch of the school, so I would have thought that I should have."

The teacher hesitated for a long moment while she considered his question.  "About twenty years ago, when I was around eight or nine, I was in the hospital.  I was very ill, with no strength, possibly even dying.  While I was there, a funny old man appeared at my bedside.  He talked to me and found out about my problem.  I guess he took pity on me, because he taught me several techniques.  He said that they were a part of an ultimate fitness regimen that he had created and that it would make my body stronger and cure me of my illness," Ms. Ninomayi recalled.

"But what does that have to do with the school of Anything Goes?" Akane asked puzzled.

Ms. Ninomayi replied, "He said his name was Happosai, and that he was the grandmaster of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts.  The techniques he taught me did make me strong, and cure me of my illness, but over the years, I've come to see them as a mixed blessing.  I revert back to this child-like body and can't stay my true age for very long.  Also, while he was with me, I came to discover that he was a very perverted old man.  He would go on raids, stealing the nurses' underwear and then use me to drain their battle aura out of them, allowing him to escape from their just retribution.  Once I realized that, I swore to have nothing further to do with him, but by that time it was too late."

Ranma mused, "So what he taught you is sort of a double-edged sword.  While it may have saved your life, it has also caused you a great deal of problems as well."

"Yes, you're correct.  I don't really like having to drain the chi out of someone to regain my true form, a sort of chi vampire, if you will.  It makes me feel a bit dirty, as a matter of fact," the child-like teacher replied, a hint of moisture in her eyes.

"What ever happened to that pervert who taught you?" Akane asked.

"I'm not really sure.  I believe he ended up being killed on one of his raids.  I overheard some nurses saying he got what he deserved when he ran afoul of a party of Amazon women.  I do know that all of his belongings were boxed up and shipped to one of his disciples here in Tokyo, but I never knew the name of the disciple," Ms. Ninomayi replied.

Seeing the young girl looking a bit distressed, Ranma felt sorry for her.  "Sensei, I apologize for asking these questions.  It appears that we may be causing you some pain.  I want to thank you for talking with us about all of this," Ranma said quietly.

"Thank you for your concern, Ranma.  Thank you as well for treating me as a human, not some kind of freak, or monster," she answered.

Ranma smiled briefly, and replied, "Sensei, neither one of us would ever consider you either a freak, or a monster, believe me.  If you ever need someone to talk to, please visit our family.  If you need a friend, the Tendo family is a good place to start.  Our brother-in-law, Tofu Ono, is also a good person to know.  Please, feel free to visit us there anytime."

"Again, thank you for making me feel welcome.  However, I still expect you to do your schoolwork," Ms. Ninomayi said, with a giggle.  Ranma and Akane smiled back at her.

"We've taken up enough of your time, Ms. Ninomayi.  We'd better get home, Ranchan.  Remember, it's my night to cook, and you promised Father that you would try to play shogi tonight," Akane said.  The three of them left the room together, with Ranma and Akane heading downstairs and on home, and Ms. Ninomayi making her way to her lonely apartment.

--------------------------------------

Nabiki had worried all day long about the conversation that she had had with Shampoo on the way to school.  Something about what she said didn't strike Nabiki as true.  'For someone who didn't care about what Mousse did, she seemed to be a little upset to see us kissing,' Nabiki thought.

"Hello, Mo-chan," Nabiki said, a little subdued as Mousse walked up, "We don't really have any business today.  But I feel like a walk in the park, how does that sound to you?"

"That sounds good to me, Nabiki.  It's a pretty day for a walk," Mousse replied, as he offered her his arm.

After accepting his offer to escort her, the two of them headed slowly over to the park.  Once they arrived, Nabiki led them over to a park bench, underneath a gazebo overlooking the small lake in the center of the park.  Nabiki sat there in silence for a while, pondering how best to approach Mousse.  Finally, she decided to just be blunt and ask, "Mousse, why aren't you still chasing Shampoo?  After all, you had been doing that since you were three.  You aren't just using me to make her jealous, are you?"

Mousse stared at the lake for a while, and then replied, "I won't lie to you and tell you that I don't still have feelings for her.  I do care for her, maybe even love her still.  But Shampoo made it pretty clear the last time that I talked to her that she wasn't interested in me that way.  I'm not sure I want to waste the rest of my life chasing after someone who at best thinks of me as a friend, and at worst as a stalker.  But as to using you, no, I'm no more using you to make Shampoo jealous than you are trying to use me to make Ranma jealous.  Not that it would work if we wanted it to."

"What would you think if I told you that she is jealous?" Nabiki said quietly.

Mousse froze in consternation.  He sighed as he answered, "Nabiki, I don't know how to answer you.  I don't know what to think.  I had convinced myself that there was no future with her for me, so I set out to forget about her.  I didn't have any intention of falling for another woman, but I have.  I can honestly say that I'm extremely attracted to you.  But I don't know if I love you.  I do know that the thought of hurting you scares me.  How do feel about me?"

"Mo-chan, I'm in the same situation, I guess.  I didn't set out to find someone to help me get over Ranma.  And I certainly wasn't trying to get him jealous.  He's oblivious to that kind of thing, anyway.  You intrigued me, and I wanted to get to know more about you because of that.  That and the fact that you probably saved my life twice gave me an incentive to like you.  The more I found out about you, and the more we hung out together, the more interesting you became.  I care about you a great deal, and it would hurt if you left me for someone else, I know that.  Does that mean I've fallen in love with you?  Maybe, or it might mean that I can fall in love with you.  I just don't know," she said.

"So, what are we?  Two lonely people, maybe pining over a lost love, who may be falling for each other, is that what we are?" he asked.

"I don't know how to answer that, either," Nabiki said in a small voice.  She began to weep.  Mousse awkwardly held her in his arms, trying to comfort her, yet not really sure why this beautiful, usually self-possessed, woman was crying on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Mo-chan.  I don't want to lose you, just when we might be finding each other," Nabiki said into his shoulder as she stopped crying.

Mousse gently raised her head and began kissing the tears from her face; the salt from her tears burning his lips.  She hungrily sought his lips with hers and kissed him desperately, trying to drive her fears from her.

Mousse's feelings for the woman in his arms suddenly became clear as crystal in his mind.  "Don't worry, darling," he said, huskily, "I won't ever leave you."

Nabiki's entire face lit up upon hearing those words, as she said, "I like the sound of you calling me 'darling'.  It just sent little shivers up and down my spine when you did.  Oh Mousse, dear sweet Mousse, where do we go now?"

"I'd like us to get to know each other better and hope our relationship gets stronger, darling Nabiki," he said fondly, "I don't know what the future may hold, but I want to face it together.  Now, unfortunately, however, it's getting late, so I need to get back to the embassy, and you need to go home."  They kissed once more, and then reluctantly parted.  Mousse walked Nabiki home, and then at the gate, held her close to him.  As they kissed, Nabiki felt little sparks shooting out from the parts of her body in contact with Mousse.

They sprang apart as they heard a soft giggle coming from behind them.  Whirling, they saw Ranma and Akane standing there.  Ranma was covering his mouth in an unsuccessful attempt to hide his grinning face, while Akane was giggling up a storm.

"Sorry, Sis.  But you were sure giving us a hard time this morning at breakfast," Akane said.

Ranma waited for the girls to leave and then he quietly said to Mousse, "I think you're good for her.  She needs someone like you.  Please, take good care of her, okay?  She means a lot to Akane and I."

"Or else you'll hurt me, I suppose?" Mousse said, bristling slightly.

Ranma shook his head in annoyance and replied, "No, I didn't mean it that way.  Besides, if you hurt her, she'll take care of it without needing my help.  She'd b pretty offended if I offered to hurt you, anyway.  No, I just meant what I said, is all."  He bowed to Mousse and entered the Tendo compound.

Mousse stared thoughtfully into space and then left.


	40. Issues and Answers

Chapter 40 Issues and Answers

As Ranma entered the living room, he stopped in mid stride. For some reason, Nabiki was standing in the middle of the room, glaring at him. She had obviously been waiting for him. "What did you say to Mousse?" she asked, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Ranma nervously rubbed the back of his neck. He'd much rather face a charging rhino or elephant than face an angry Nabiki. He was more likely to survive the encounter with the charging beast. Finally he stammered, "Nothing, really. I just asked him to take good care of you is all. He's been good for you and I wanna see that continue."

"So you weren't trying to run him off and keep him away from me?" she said, the hostility leaving her voice.

"Sis, that's the last thing that I would do. He seems to make you happy, and that's extremely important to me," Ranma replied.

Her eyes softened and she said softly, "I'm sorry Ranma that I jumped to a conclusion. Thanks, it's nice to know that you care about my happiness." She walked over and kissed him on the cheek. Then she went upstairs to work on her schoolwork, or maybe dream about Mousse.

Shaking his head in bewilderment, Ranma continued into the dining area, pondering the mystery of women. There he found Mr. Tendo sitting by the shogi board, gazing at the koi pond but seeing nothing. As Ranma walked over, he heard Mr. Tendo sigh, and say, "I miss you Saotome. Why'd you have to leave?"

"Ready to trounce me in a game of shogi, Mr. Tendo," Ranma said easily, "You'll have to go easy on me though, I haven't played in a while and I'm sure I'm pretty rusty."

"Sure, Son," Soun said with a smile, "Though why do I feel like I'm being set up?" Ranma sat down across from his father-in-law, with a beatific smile as if to say, "Who me" and waited for Soun to make the first move.

"Something interesting happened at school today. Akane and I got a new homeroom teacher, a Ms. Hinako Ninomayi. She apparently was taught some martial art techniques that she says are from the Anything Goes School. She actually looks like a little girl, but she can drain a person's battle aura and when she does, she returns to her adult form," Ranma said.

Soun pondered that while he moved his first piece. "Hm, that's not a move that I'm familiar with," he responded, "Are you sure she said it was from our school?"

"That's what she said when Akane and I talked to her after school. She said she was taught by some perverted old man about twenty years ago," Ranma replied. After studying the board for a second, Ranma moved one of his pieces to counter Mr. Tendo's advance.

Soun gasped at the description of the person who had taught Ranma's new teacher. Then he asked, "Did she tell you what this master's name was?"

Ranma frowned in thought and replied, "Yes, she did. I've forgotten it, but it was Happo- something or other. Anyway, he's supposed to be dead. She heard that he had run afoul of a party of Chinese Amazon warriors and no one had heard from him after that. She stopped by the inn where he had been staying and the innkeeper said that he had boxed up all of his belongings and sent them to some disciple that lived in the Tokyo area."

Soun had started crying tears of happiness when he heard that the old master that he had feared for so long was dead. He sang, "The Master is dead, the Master is dead! We're free, we're finally free!" Ranma stared at the game board in amazement, realizing that subconsciously they had each made several moves during their conversation.

"So you were one of his disciples, then," Ranma stated.

"Yes. Both your father and I were his students. His only disciples as far as I know. Shortly after I got married, he disappeared and I never saw him again. That would have been about the same twenty years ago. He had said that he was only going to be gone a few weeks. When those weeks turned into months, and he still wasn't back, your father and I began to have hope that we truly had seen the last of him. Once we decided that, we must have celebrated for a week. It's funny. In a way, that's why you and Akane are married now," Soun said with a wry chuckle, "It was during that week long celebration that Genma and I pledged that one day our children would wed."

"Do you remember receiving anything that might have been his? You're sure there weren't any other disciples?" Ranma asked.

"I don't remember getting any packages that would have been his belongings. As your teacher said, he was perverted and liked to collect used women's undergarments. I'm pretty sure I would recall getting a box of panties or bras in the mail. I do know that Genma and I were his only students during that time. We traveled with him extensively for several years, watching him become more and more perverted. It was bad enough that he forced us to help him with his peeping at the woman's bath, but when he began his stealing of underwear, I finally had enough. That's when I went to him and told him that I was through being his student and left. He swore that I would regret that decision, and I've been worried that he would eventually come back. Your father left him shortly after I did as well," Soun said as he made another move, taking one of Ranma's pieces. "Then I found Kimiko and married her, and moved back into the family home. This home, actually. He came by one day, and ran into Nodoka and Kimiko, who were best friends. Apparently they must have been too much for him, since that was when he disappeared," he continued, smiling at the memory.

Ranma smiled briefly, seeing the look on Tendo's face. Then he made his move, taking one of Mr. Tendo's pieces and said, "I believe that puts you in check."

Soun looked at the board and said, "I knew you were trying to lull me into a false sense of security. What do you think, mate in six moves?"

Ranma smiled and replied, "I think so, but you might get lucky."

"Right, and the sun might rise in the west tomorrow, too. That'll be just as likely an occurrence," Soun said with a laugh," Thank you for the game and the conversation. Why were you curious about the Master Happosai?"

"I'm worried about Ms. Ninomayi. I didn't like what I was seeing in her aura and I was hoping I could find something that would tell me more about the techniques that she was taught. Like I said, she normally looks like a little girl, and then when she drains someone's aura, she is restored to her true form. While she is in her little girl form, her aura looks ill and I'm afraid that it is hurting her. I was hoping that if I can find out enough, we may be able to find a way to reverse the curse she is under," Ranma replied.

"His belongings may have been sent to your father. If so, it's probably in the stuff he left here, though it may be at your mother's house," Soun said after a few minutes of thought.

"That's a good idea, Mr. Tendo. I didn't even think about looking at Pop's stuff. Thanks, I can't believe I overlooked something so obvious," Ranma said in gratitude, tinged with a hint of embarrassment for missing that.

"Ranma, I've been meaning to ask you this before. Do you suppose you could call me Soun or maybe Dad?" Soun asked," After all, you're my son-in-law now, so there's no real need to be that formal anymore."

Ranma replied, "I'd be honored to call you Dad. I was just a bit reluctant to do so without your permission." He rose gracefully to his feet and then said, "Good game, by the way. I enjoyed it. We'll have to do it again. If Akane comes looking for me, I'll be upstairs looking through the old man's things while we wait for dinner." He headed upstairs to the guestroom to begin his search.

Fortunately, while Shampoo and his mom had packed up his father's belongings, they hadn't heard from Genma yet, so everything was still sitting in one corner of the guestroom. Quickly emptying the backpack, Ranma sorted through everything, looking for any books, papers or scrolls on martial arts. Finally, he found a battered leather portfolio, with the kanji for Happosai scribed into the leather.

Ranma opened the portfolio and began scanning the pages contained within it. Apparently, whoever this Happosai character was, he had believed in meticulous notes, and further more had arranged all of the techniques in order. Flipping quickly through the pages, Ranma found the Happo Go-en Satsu attack. Smiling happily now that he was sure that he was on the right track, he set the portfolio down long enough to repack all of the belongings of the person who used to be his father into the backpack. He shuddered to think what his mother would have said to him if she had seen the mess he had made while he was searching.

Once he cleaned up the room, Ranma returned to the portfolio and began reading the small, but neat, handwriting describing the Happo Go-en Satsu attack. As he read the pages, his face began to pale, as he discovered that his concern for the young teacher's health was not misplaced. According to what he was reading, he was surprised that she wasn't already very ill. At best, she only had a few more years ahead of her, unless her condition could be reversed.

Akane walked into the guestroom to find Ranma staring at a portfolio in his lap, his face very pale. "Ranchan, what's wrong?" she asked in concern.

Ranma jumped in surprise and then said, "I found this collection of techniques, Acchan. The Happo Go-en Satsu is described in some detail. That old man deliberately gave Ms. Ninomayi this condition, full well knowing that if it wasn't reversed, it would eventually kill her."

"Maybe he intended to reverse it once she was well. Remember, she was already in the hospital when he found her. Maybe he got killed before he could undo what he had down," Akane replied, " Does it say anything about how to undo what he did?"

"Well, there are several hints in what I've read. The technique he taught her only works if you already have the ability to absorb chi. He had to change her from a normal little girl into that chi vampire and I haven't found out how he did that, yet. We've got a lot of reading to do, I'm afraid, and looking at some of the titles alone is enough to make me blush. When she said he was a pervert, she wasn't kidding," Ranma said.

"What do we tell her, Ranchan?" Akane asked, her face showing her concern.

Ranma stared at her, lost in thought as he considered her question. "We have to tell her what I've found out so far. I'd also like Doc to take a look at her as soon as possible. Tomorrow, we need to show her this portfolio, and find out what other techniques she might have been taught. After that, maybe we can convince her to see Doc," he said finally.

The next day, after class, Ranma and Akane waited for Ms. Ninomayi to meet them at the front gate. Ranma had invited her to join them for some ice cream at the local ice cream parlor, and as he had hoped, she had been unable to resist the lure of the frozen treat. Finally, the young teacher joined them, skipping lightly down the steps from the main building and then down the front sidewalk to the gate. The three of them made their way to the ice cream parlor, where they made their selections and then found a booth away from everyone else so that they could have some privacy. Once they sat down, Ranma grumbled, saying, "It still feels funny eating ice cream as a guy, Acchan."

Ms. Ninomayi looked up at that and asked, "What does that mean?"

Ranma said, "Oops, I forgot. It's a long story, but for now, let's just say that my father has funny ideas about men eating ice cream. We asked you to join us for a reason, sensei. After our conversation yesterday, I talked to Akane's father. He had never heard of the technique that I described to him, but he did confirm that his old master was the pervert you met. He and my father were the only disciples that old man ever had, so I had hopes that we might be able to find more information about the ability to drain chi."

"Why were you curious about that ability, Ranma? I doubt you want to learn the technique based on how it's affected me," Ms. Ninomayi asked.

"Uh, something about your chi when you are in this form looked odd to me, Ms. Ninomayi. I can sense chi levels some because of my training, but I'm not an expert. Would you be willing to meet our brother-in-law, Dr. Tofu Ono. He is an expert at reading a person's aura," Ranma replied.

"So you think there's something wrong with me?" Ms. Ninomayi asked in concern.

Akane hesitated and then replied, "We found a portfolio that belonged to Happosai that contained information about the Happo Go-en Satsu. It also listed a lot of other techniques as well. We still have a lot of reading and research to do, but one thing we have learned is that the use of the Happo Go-en Satsu eventually will make you very ill, and possibly kill you."

Ranma added, "While you're in your child form, your aura seems to be dark and not like any I've seen before. As an adult though, you look normal. Also, when you absorb chi from a male it seems to want to unbalance you even more. I expect you feel a little queasy when you drain a guy as opposed to when you drain a girl."

She thought for a while, and then replied, "Yes, I do feel better when it is a girl. I stay in my adult form much longer when I have to drain a female delinquent. When it is a male, I have to rid myself of that energy, so I revert to a child sooner. I think I would like to visit your Doctor Ono and have him take a look at me. I'm not sure I want to go to his clinic, though. I know it sounds silly, but I have a morbid fear of hospitals and clinics. I suppose because of all of the time I spent in one as a child."

"Then why don't you join us for dinner? He and my sister Kasumi still live with us. After dinner, he can examine you, and also all three of us can read the notes that Happosai left," Akane suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea, Akane," Ms. Ninomayi said, "I haven't met too many people yet here in Nerima, and I do get a bit lonely in my apartment."

Ranma smiled at her and said, "Then let's go home. There you'll meet some pretty nice people. Everybody loves Kasumi and Tofu." The three of them rose and left the ice cream parlor.

As they neared the Tendo home, Ranma cursed as he felt the transformation occur. She glared at the old lady who had managed to get her with her hose. "Damn, here I'd almost made it through the day," she growled. Then she turned to her companions only to see Ms. Ninomayi looking at her in shock.

"But, you were a boy!!" the teacher said in surprise.

"Uh, I'll explain when we get home," Ranma said, "And yes I'm still the same person."

The three of them entered the Tendo house. As they entered, Akane called, "Tadaima, we're home, and we brought a guest."

Soun looked up from where he was sitting and asked, "Hello, Akane, Ranma, who's your friend."

"This is that new homeroom teacher, Ms. Hinako Ninomayi, that I told you about last night, Dad," Ranma replied, "Ms. Ninomayi, this is Soun Tendo, Akane's father and my father-in-law."

"I'll go tell Kasumi we have a guest for dinner, and get you some hot water, Ranchan," Akane said.

"Thanks, dear. Now, I'm sure you have a ton of questions about what just happened, sensei. The short version is my father and I fell into some cursed springs at a training ground in China called Jusenkyo. When I get splashed with cold water, I turn into a girl, and then I change back with hot water. As far as we know, there is no cure, so I've had to learn to live with this. As you can imagine, it has made my life interesting," Ranma said.

"But that's magic!" the teacher said.

Ranma raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and said, "You change forms between a young girl and an adult and you have a hard time believing me?"

"Uh, good point," she said blushing.

Kasumi and Nodoka followed Akane from the kitchen, Akane carrying a pot of water. Ranma took the pot of water and went outside. "Kasumi, Mom, this is our new homeroom teacher, Ms. Hinako Ninomayi," Akane said, "Ms. Ninomayi, this is my oldest sister Kasumi, and Nodoka, Ranma's mother and m my mother-in-law."

"Oh my, they get younger every year," Kasumi said.

Nodoka looked surprised, saying, "You'll have to excuse us, it's a bit hard to believe that you're old enough to be a teacher."

"Mom, Kasumi, stop that! You'll embarrass us in front of her. She has an odd ability that changes her from her normal adult form to what you see here," Ranma said, as he came back in, wet but now male, "Is Doc home from the clinic yet, Kasumi-chan?"

Kasumi smiled and replied, "No, he called to say he would be home a little late. One of his patients was running longer than he expected. He did say he would be home in time for dinner, though."

"Okay, thanks. While we wait, why don't we look through that portfolio? Maybe we can find out more about all of this," Ranma suggested. The other two nodded, and followed Ranma to the room he shared with Akane.

Once the three of them got comfortable, with Ranma and Akane sitting on the bed, and Ms. Ninomayi sitting on the desk chair where she could look over his shoulder at the portfolio, Ranma said, "I guess the first thing we ought to find out is what all techniques you were taught and then see what the notes say about each of them. Is that all right with you, Ms. Ninomayi?"

She hesitated for a second and then replied, "Sure, that sounds like a good idea. Also, please, stop with the Ms. Ninomayi. I'd like you two to call me Hinako at least while we're not in school. Now you've already seen the Happo Go-en Satsu. That attack allows me to drain off someone's battle aura. The next technique is similar, the Happo Goju-en Satsu, which allows me to drain someone's chi, even if they don't have a battle aura. I can also use various levels of Happo Tsurisen Gaeshi to blast the chi that I have collected back at someone."

Ranma flipped through the notes that were in the portfolio and then smiled. "Yes! The other two are here as well." The other two read with him as he perused the notes on each of the three techniques, Akane getting slightly impatient waiting on Ranma to finish each page. Finally, they finished, all three of them looking extremely pale.

Hinako put her head in her hands and began to sob. Ranma looked helplessly at Akane, who went over and held her, trying to comfort her. "It's not hopeless, Hinako," Akane said gently, "I have to believe there is a way to undo what that old man did to you."

"I agree with Acchan," Ranma said, his voice ringing with confidence, "We just have to look through these notes some more, I'm sure. There'll be something that will fix this."

"Thanks, you two. You're right. I can't give up hope. Not yet at least," Hinako said, lifting her face bravely and looking at the two young adults who were refusing to give up hope.

Akane remembered one of the passages they had just finished reading, and asked, "Wasn't there a comment in there about chi vampires that referenced something?"

"Yes! Now that you mention it, I recall a passage that talked about how we are created," Hinako said with growing excitement, "I think it was in the second set of notes we read." Ranma flipped to those notes and handed the portfolio to the two women. Hinako quickly scanned down the page until she found the passage that she had remembered. It described a technique of using pressure points to allow someone to absorb chi energy.

"Pressure points to absorb chi energy, hm," Ranma said, "I think we need to talk to Doc for sure now. He knows a lot about pressure points, and I bet he can find out what we need."

"Ranchan's right, Hinako," Akane agreed, "I'm sure he'll either know, or be able to find someone who does!"

Nabiki said from the door, "Hey, Kasumi sent me up here to tell you it was time for dinner."

"Thanks, Sis. Tell her we'll be right down," Akane said. The three of them left the room and followed Nabiki downstairs, where they met the final member of the Tendo household entering the living room.

"Hinako, this is my brother-in-law, Tofu Ono. Tofu, this is my homeroom teacher, Hinako Ninomayi," Akane said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Kasumi mentioned that you were here, and told me a little about your condition. I've never heard of it before, but I'd like to try to understand what happens to you. Maybe we can talk after dinner," Tofu said.

"Actually, I'm looking forward to it. One of the reasons I'm here tonight is for you to examine me and then hopefully help us find a cure," Hinako replied.

"Apparently, Pop's old master used a set of pressure points on her to enable her to absorb chi energies and then taught her several techniques to do that," Ranma added.

"Pressure points to absorb chi, where have I seen that before," Tofu mused.

Nabiki protested, saying, "Enough shop talk you guys. I'm hungry and Kasumi is waiting for us."

After dinner, Tofu excused himself and went with Hinako into the bathroom to examine her carefully. After a few minutes, they came back out, with Tofu wearing his professional face, and Hinako looking extremely sober. "Ranma, you were right, there is something very odd in her aura. It's almost as if there is some sort of feedback loop. I hate to ask this, but I need to see what her chi looks like when she is an adult," he said.

Ranma sighed and said, "Please be gentle with me, Hinako."

She giggled and pulled out a fifty-yen coin, and cried, "Happo Goju-en Satsu," draining just enough chi from Ranma to transform to her adult form. "Was it good for you, Ranma?" Hinako asked archly. Soun's eyes bugged out as he saw the very attractive young woman standing before him.

"Very funny," Ranma said weakly, from the floor where he had fallen.

Tofu gazed at Hinako for several minutes and said, "The feedback loop seems to be gone in this form. I think that means if we can reverse the pressure points that you received as a child, you will be perfectly healthy in this form. I've got several books at work that I need to look at. It's early enough in the evening that I think I'll go back there."

Kasumi asked sweetly, "Could you use some help in your research, dear?"

"I would love your company, Kasumi. It will make the reading go much quicker if there is another set of eyes," Tofu said.

Hinako bowed, and said, "I want to thank all of you for your concern. Also, thank you for a wonderful dinner. Ranma, Akane, I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Soun replied, "You're always welcome here, Ms. Ninomayi."

She batted her eyes at him and said, coyly, "Please, call me Hinako."

"Certainly, Hinako. I hope we see more of you," Soun replied. He stood up and escorted her to the door, while everyone else face-faulted.

Tofu and Kasumi followed them out to begin their research at the clinic.

"Acchan, I think I'm gonna need some help to get upstairs," Ranma moaned.

Akane snickered, and helped him up. Still holding onto him, she half-carried and half-dragged him upstairs.


	41. The Pressure Points are Where?

Chapter 41 The Pressure Points are Where?

Akane woke up gradually, wondering where her husband was. It was rare that he woke up before she did, and it was even rarer that he wasn't still in bed watching over her as she slept. She stretched languorously, as she remembered the evening before with Ranma after he had regained his strength from Hinako's chi attack. Apparently, one of the side effects of having chi drained was to feel very amorous once the strength came back. Rising, she pulled on a robe and headed downstairs to the kitchen. There to her surprise, she found Ranma working on breakfast by himself. Pausing in what he was doing, he kissed Akane thoroughly.

"Where's Kasumi?" Akane asked, slightly perplexed, "She's usually up by now fixing breakfast."

Ranma smiled, and said, "Apparently, she and Doc pulled an all-nighter researching the pressure points. At least that's what I think she was trying to say when I came down here. Her stumbling around in the kitchen was loud enough that it woke me up. When I made it down here, she tried to tell me something, but she was so exhausted she wasn't make much sense, so I took her to her room and had Mom put her to bed. About the only thing that I understood is that they think they found the answer, but we'll have to wait until they wake back up. Man, I've never seen her like that. You know how much Nabiki looks like a zombie in the morning, normally. This morning she made Nabiki look wide-awake in comparison. Doc was smart enough that he had already crashed."

"I'm glad they found something out. That's good news. I just can't imagine Kasumi being so tired that she can't cook, though," Akane said, "Tell you what, I'll give you a hand. What can I do?"

Ranma pretended to blanch, earning a mock glare from Akane and a swat on his head. "Baka," she muttered as he laughed.

"Actually, I think everything is taken care of. The rice is about done, the soup is finished, and the tea and coffee are both ready. You could set out the pickles in a bowl, but other than that, I think all that needs to happen is to set the bowls and chopsticks out," Ranma replied.

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Ranma and Akane stopped by Hinako on the way into class long enough to tell her that Doc and Kasumi had found something during their research the night before, but that they didn't know what it was. Hinako tried very hard not to get her hopes up too high. After calling roll, she began teaching her English lesson, though she did have to drain two students for talking in class. Once she did that, the boys at least began paying attention, though she knew that most of the girls resented her appearance once she reverted into her adult form. 'Strangely enough, the only two girls who don't seem threatened are Akane and Ms. Kuonji. I wonder why that is,' she thought, 'Oh, of course, they already have someone that love's them.'

Ranma found his thoughts wandering as he listened to Ms. Hinako's lesson. He couldn't help wonder what Doc and Kasumi had discovered during their all-night research session. 'I certainly hope they really did find a way to reverse what ever that old pervert did to her," Ranma thought as Ms. Hinako showed the class how to conjugate the verb "to be".

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Ranma, Akane and Hinako rushed to the Tendo home immediately after school. When they arrived there, they found Tofu patiently waiting for them in the kitchen, drinking tea with his wife. Ranma smiled, and said, "You certainly look better this afternoon than when I saw you this morning, Kasumi. Did you two catch up on your sleep while we were at school?"

"Yes, Ranchan. I'm feeling much better now. You'd think I could still pull the occasional all-nighter without getting that wiped out. After all, I'm not that old," Kasumi said with a blush.

"Ranma said he thought you found something that might help," Hinako said.

Tofu replied, "Yes, we did. Kasumi found a chart that described the process, including the pressure points, which Happosai must have used to give you the ability to absorb chi.. The one on the next page described the process for reversing what he did. There are five pressure points that must be pressed simultaneously, Ja and Aku, which are on the back, and Byo, Tsu and Ma which are on the chest. Ranma, if you'll take your shirt off, I'll show you and Akane where they are. The technique is called Weakening of the Evil Spirits."

Ranma grumbled for a second, and then took off his shirt. "Undershirt, too," Tofu said. Ranma took that off as well.

Hinako got a hungry look on her face as she gazed at the well-defined muscular body of the young man standing in front of her. Akane glared at her and said, "Don't get any ideas, he's mine! Besides, you're a little girl right now!"

Hinako blushed crimson, and then said, quietly, "My body's a little girl. My mind still is an adult. Sorry Akane, I couldn't help it. He is good-looking."

Akane whispered back, "I don't mind you looking. I like to do that too. It's the touching that you can't do. I get a bit jealous about him. I still have a hard time believing he picked me."

Tofu pointed out the five different locations of the pressure points on Ranma. Then he poured cold water on Ranma, transforming him into a girl. "Sorry, Ranma. I needed to show where they are on a woman," Tofu said, as he proceeded to repeat the process. Once he was done, Ranma put her shirt back on. "Okay, there are three other things that you need to know. One, Ms. Ninomayi must be in her adult form before you do the pressure points, two, we will have to do this for thirty days for it to take affect, and three, you'll have to hold the pressure points for at least one minute," Tofu said.

"I don't have any choice in the matter, do I, Doctor? If I want to live, I have to have this done," Hinako asked in a soft, scared voice.

Tofu looked at the little girl, with a kindly eye, and said, "This is the only thing that we've found that seems to fix you up."

Hinako looked at Ranma and Akane and asked, "Will you do this for me? I know it is a lot to ask, not to mention very embarrassing for all of us."

Akane simply said, "Yes. I can't let you die. The two on your back aren't bad, but the three on your right breast will be embarrassing, you're right."

Ranma nodded, saying, "It figures that the old pervert would do something that allows him to feel up a woman to cure you. Akane and I will help you. Doc, does it matter which kind of chi she absorbs, or should it be female?"

"It would be best if it was female chi. If it's done right, she'll feel pretty weak after it's done," Tofu replied.

Akane suggested, "Why don't we go upstairs to our room and get this started?" Then she giggled, and said, "Of course, there's a side benefit to getting cured, Hinako."

The young girl looked puzzled and asked, "What would that be?"

"Shopping! I'm sure you'll want some new outfits since you'll be spending the rest of your life in your adult form," Akane said. The three of them walked upstairs, Akane and Hinako giggling as they went.

Once they reached their room, Akane shut the door behind them. She turned to Hinako and said, "Drain my chi, Hinako. You drained Ranma last night, so it's my turn. Then Ranma can hit the pressure points."

"Akane, you don't have to do that. I'm female right now, she can drain me," Ranma protested.

"No Ranma. Like I said, it's my turn," Akane said. While they were discussing the situation, Hinako took her sweater and blouse off.

Ranma said, "I don't think you really need to do that, Hinako."

She blushed and said, "I want you to find the points correctly, Ranma. You know where they are on a naked body. This way you can be sure to find them."

Ranma looked at Akane and said, "Okay, Acchan. You win. We'll alternate. Go ahead Hinako."

Hinako pulled out her fifty-yen piece and cried, "Happo Goju-en Satsu," draining just enough chi from Akane to transform to her adult form. Ranma caught Akane before she fell and hit the floor and laid her on the bed. Blushing, Hinako turned to face Ranma, showing her ample assets.

Ranma, blushing bright red, came up close to Hinako, and reached around with her right hand to press the two points on Hinako's back and with her left hand, pressed the three points on Hinako's right breast. Watching the second hand turn on the bedside clock, Ranma waited until just over a minute had elapsed, and then let go of Hinako, who promptly collapsed on the bed. Ranma helped her put her shirt back on and then laid her on the bed next to Akane. "Thank you, Ranma, for helping with this," Hinako said breathily.

"It was my pleasure, Hinako," Ranma said. Then her eyes widened as she realized what she had said, and she stammered, "Er, I meant that I was happy to help."

"I knew what you meant. You aren't a pervert," Hinako said.

Akane mumbled from the bed, "Yes she is. But she's my pervert, so it's okay."

"Very funny, Acchan," Ranma said, "Tomorrow we'll go to your apartment and perform the treatment there, Hinako. Tonight, why don't you sleep in the guestroom with Mom and Shampoo? They won't mind."

"I'll recover in a few minutes and then I can go home, Ranma," Hinako said, "I've imposed enough on your family as it is."

"Hinako, you're not an imposition," Akane said weakly, "You're a friend in need."

Hinako started weeping, scaring Ranma. "I've never had anyone call me friend in a long, long time. Thanks, Akane," Hinako said, tearfully.

"But you are a friend, Hinako," Ranma agreed, "and we'll do what it takes to help one of our friends. I'm gonna get Tofu and have him check you two out, and then tell Kasumi you'll be staying the night." With that, he leaned over and kissed his wife, and walked downstairs.

A few minutes later, Tofu came in and examined Hinako. He smiled in satisfaction and said, "Ranma did it exactly right, you two. Just twenty-nine more times. You look fine, Akane. I guess you just feel a little weak is all. Both of you get some rest, and Ranma will bring dinner up later."

The two girls promptly fell asleep, with Akane's last thought, 'I wonder how he did that?'

Tofu chuckled as he left the room, thinking, 'How about that for the power of suggestion.'

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About an hour later, Akane woke up when a now male Ranma walked into the room, carrying a tray of food for the three of them. Ranma set the tray down on the desk, and helped Akane out of the bed. Hinako woke up when Akane left the bed; sometime during her sleep, she had reverted back to her childlike form. "Kasumi sent me up here with orders to make sure you two ate," Ranma said with a smirk. Akane and Hinako stuck their tongues out at him, and began eating their food. Ranma's eyes grew wide in surprise at how fast the meal was disappearing. He quickly joined them, and the three of them polished off the food. Once they were done, Ranma asked, "When you are cured, what are your plans, Hinako?"

"What do you mean, Ranma?" she asked in response.

Ranma hesitated and said, "You made a career out of being a discipline teacher, cleaning up schools that had a reputation. Once you can no longer absorb chi, you won't be able to do that anymore."

"True, but I can still teach. Maybe you two can teach me some martial arts as well, so I can defend myself," Hinako replied.

Akane smiled and said, "Sure, I'd like that, Hinako. It would be nice to have someone else to practice with. Ranma can still toss me around the dojo if he goes all out. It can get a bit depressing sometimes."

"Acchan, you're getting real good. Don't put yourself down. With everything you've learned, you'd win most of your fights," Ranma said with a smile, "I'm proud of how far you've come. And I'm not just saying that. I really mean it."

Akane blushed in embarrassment at the praise. "Thanks, Ranchan. That means a lot to me," she said.

"The guestroom is the room at the head of the stairs, isn't it?" Hinako asked.

"Yes, Hinako. Say, Acchan, don't you have some large t-shirts somewhere?" Ranma asked.

"Yes, there's a Hello, Kitty t-shirt in the middle drawer. Why?" Akane asked puzzled.

"I thought one of your t-shirts would be better for Hinako to sleep in is all," Ranma replied as he walked over to the dresser and found the t-shirt and handed it to Hinako. She smiled her thanks and left the room.

Akane smiled and said, "That's a good idea. I should have thought of that, myself."

"How are you feeling Acchan?" Ranma asked as he sat next to her in the bed.

Her response was to lean over and pull his head to where she could kiss him passionately.

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The next afternoon, after Akane helped Ranma back from Hinako's apartment, she went to visit her brother-in-law at his clinic. Finding him in his office, she shut the door and asked a question that had been puzzling her. Blushing in embarrassment, she asked, "Tofu, I've noticed something a little odd. When Hinako absorbed Ranma's chi the other day, when he recovered he was very amorous. The same thing happened last night once I regained my strength. Is this something you expected?"

"I didn't see that in anything that I had read about chi absorption. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised though. From what you and Ranma told me about Happosai, I should have expected that he had created some sort of perverted twist," Tofu replied, "You're not complaining are you?"

"No, I'm not complaining. Now, Nabiki might complain if we make too much noise. I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't going to be a problem," Akane said with a grin.

"I'll need to check you and Ranma each time you get drained," Tofu replied, "Do you feel fine other than that?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," Akane replied, "I also think we need to keep track of how long Hinako stays in her adult form after each of the treatments. Today she lasted twenty minutes."

Tofu grimaced and said, "Thanks, Akane. I should have thought of that myself. How was she feeling when you left?"

"She said she felt fine," Akane replied. She looked at them time and then said, "I need to get back home. I promised Ranma that we'd work on our homework together. See you at dinner."

"Okay, tell Kasumi that I'll be home on time," Tofu replied. Akane hugged him and then left the office.

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That evening, Nabiki asked for everyone to join her in the living room after dinner. Once everyone had assembled, joining her and Mousse, she announced, "Mousse asked me to marry him today. I told him yes." She held out her hand and showed the engagement ring on her finger.

"That's wonderful, Sis," Akane said as she hugged her sister.

Soun cried, "All my daughters are married!" Then he started crying, "My babies don't need me anymore." The tears flowed from his eyes in torrents.

Kasumi smiled gently, and said, "I hope you two are as happy as Tofu and I are."

Ranma walked over to Mousse and extended his hand. "Mousse, you take good care of her. She's very special to all of us. Seriously, though, welcome to the family, brother," he said.

"Thanks, Ranma. I think she's special too," Mousse replied.

No one heard the soft gasp that came from Shampoo. She turned and fled upstairs, unnoticed by most of the happy crowd. After waiting a few minutes, Nodoka walked upstairs to the room she shared with the young Amazon. As she suspected, Shampoo was on her bed, silent tears rolling down her face.

"Child, do you want to talk about it?" Nodoka asked as she sat down next to her.

Shampoo threw herself into Nodoka's arms and continued crying. Finally, she looked up through teary eyes and said, "He was always there for me, proclaiming his love for me. I always hated him chasing me, so why am I so unhappy? I told him I didn't love him. Was I lying to him and to me?"

"I can't answer any of those questions, Shampoo. I think he was a part of your life for so long that you always expected him to be there. From what you said, I guess he finally gave up on you and moved on. I don't know whether you love him or not. Only you know that. All I can tell you is to let him go. If you don't, all you'll do is make three people miserable," Nodoka replied.

Shampoo sighed unhappily, and said, "I know that. I thought I'd be happy if he found someone else. I guess I should have been more careful for what I wished for."

"That's always a tough lesson to learn, Shampoo, no matter when you learn it," Nodoka said, "I'm here for you if you need to talk"

"Thanks, Nodoka. I need to face them now, I guess," Shampoo said. She stood up and started for the door.

"You might stop by the bathroom first and wash your face. I don't think anyone has noticed that you left but me," Nodoka said as she joined her.

Shampoo gave her a weak smile and headed downstairs to the bathroom. Nodoka stared after her and sighed. 'That poor girl!" she thought as she headed downstairs.


	42. The Evil Awakes

Chapter 42 The Evil Awakes

Kasumi answered the phone at the Tendo home, "Moshi, moshi. Hello, Mousse, I'll get Nabiki. What, you need to talk to Father? I'll go get him. What's that? A warning? Somebody named Happosai has broken free and is heading here? Okay, I'll tell Father. Bai Bai." Kasumi hung up the phone and went to find her father. She found him in the family room playing shogi with Ranma, who even though he refused to cheat was obviously beating Soun like a drum.

"Father, that was Mousse on the phone. He was forwarding a message that the Chinese Embassy received from the Amazon village at Joketsuzoku. It seems that someone named Happosai has broken free of his restraints and they believe he is heading here to find you and Mr. Saotome," Kasumi said pleasantly.

Soun looked up from the board and his face paled. He began wailing, "I thought Hinako said he was dead! Alas, the master is coming! All hope is lost! We must flee!"

Ranma began to glow with his battle aura and he said, "That's the pervert that corrupted Hinako. Damn him to the uttermost hell!" Slowly he pulled himself together and then asked through gritted teeth, "Did they have anything else to say about where he's been?"

"No, other than to say Elder Cologne is coming back to help and is bringing a war party with her. He thinks they'll be here in a couple of days," Kasumi replied.

"Don't worry, Dad. If he comes here, we'll take care of him," Ranma avowed, "Kasumi, could you ask Akane and Nabiki to join us? I think we need to find out some more about this perverted old master before he arrives here. We need to let Hinako know that he's coming as well."

Kasumi smiled and replied, "Certainly, Ranma. I'm glad **you're** taking this seriously. Can you take care of Father for me?" Ranma nodded and Kasumi went to find her sisters.

"Dad!" Ranma said calmly to the wailing man. "Mr. Tendo!" he repeated, to no avail. Finally, in disgust, Ranma reached across the board and slapped Soun, knocking him back against the wall. Soun stopped wailing and looked affronted.

"Crude, but effective, Ranma. I need to remember that method," Nabiki drawled from the doorway, "I assume it was necessary?"

"Yeah, Nabiki. We need to find out something from your father. And besides, his crying was beginning to get on my nerves. If he'd gotten me any wetter with his tears, I would have transformed into a girl," Ranma said wryly.

Akane walked into the room, followed by Kasumi. "Kasumi told me what Mousse said, Ranma. What are we going to do?" she asked.

"First, find out everything your father knows about him. Then we can figure out what, if anything, we can do," Ranma replied.

"You already know that he is a perverted old man, who likes to steal women's underwear and do other perverted acts," Soun began, "What you don't know is that he is the Grandmaster of the school, and knows all of its secrets. He is very strong in his abilities, with a battle aura that is immense." He shivered and then continued; "One of the reasons I left him when I did is that he was also beginning to grope young women. I think that is how he gains his energy. If you can keep him away from a source of female energy, I think eventually he runs out of steam and can easily be beaten then. But if he can get to a woman, or just to her underwear, he recharges. The more feminine the woman, the faster he recharges."

Ranma grew grim and he said, "I saw that mentioned in the scrolls that Pop had in his backpack. I didn't go back to it though because we needed to find out how to cure Hinako, and that was more important. It looks like we need to study those scrolls, again, Akane."

Nabiki interjected, "Ranma, I'd like to study those scrolls too. I know I'm not the martial artist that any of you three are, but it wouldn't hurt for me to see if I could find any weaknesses."

Akane replied, "That's a pretty good idea, Ranchan. She's got a much better eye for tactics than either of us do."

Ranma looked at Nabiki and said, "Some of the stuff in the scrolls is pretty perverted. Are you sure you're up to that?"

"Ranma, this is me you're talking to, remember. Nothing will bother me," Nabiki replied.

Ranma smirked and said, "Don't say I didn't warn you." The three youths went up to Ranma and Akane's room to study the scrolls that Happosai had written all of his secret techniques in.

A half-hour later a blushing Nabiki was seen running from the room, her hands against her flaming cheeks.

Ranma handed a note to the childlike Hinako as he walked into the classroom and sat down. Hinako read the note and suddenly stood up and walked outside, calmly shutting the door. After the class heard several loud crashes and bangs from outside, the door opened and she calmly walked back inside and sat down at her desk, waiting for the bell to ring to start the day.

The first period was about halfway over, when suddenly from outside an uproar arose. There were the sounds of many feet, and over the noise, a girl's voice screaming, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Give me back those panties!"

The class rushed to the windows and saw below a small old man, wearing a school uniform, carrying a large bag over his shoulder being chased by what seemed like an endless horde of schoolgirls, carrying brooms and other things to hit the old man with. The girls were crying, "You dirty old man!"

The old man was laughing as he ran, saying, "I'm no old man, don't you see this school uniform!"

"That old geezer, he must be Happosai!" Ranma exclaimed from the window.

Hinako's eyes grew wide as she said, "A delinquent!" She jumped out of the window and plummeted to the ground, crying, "You there! Stop this instant!"

Ranma screamed, "Agh! You idiot, this is the second floor!" He dove out after her, and caught her in his arms, and then landed on top of the old geezer's head, driving him into the ground, and allowing all of the girls to catch up. They proceeded to beat the stuffing out of the old man, and when they left, he was laying on the ground battered and bruised, with lumps everywhere.

"Curse you, young man! Do you know who I am?" the old man growled, clearly angry.

Ranma glared at him and said, "I think you're an old pervert named Happosai. That's who I think you are!"

"That's right! How did you know?" Happosai said, puzzled, his anger dissipating.

"My father-in-law mentioned your name as the biggest pervert he ever knew, and the Amazons said that you had escaped and might be looking for him," Ranma replied.

"So who are you and why aren't you cowering in fear of my reputation?" Happosai blustered.

"The name's Ranma Saotome, and I ain't afraid of nobody!" Ranma replied.

"Are you related to that wimp Genma Saotome?" the old man growled.

Ranma looked at Happosai with cold eyes, and replied, "He is my father, old man."

The old man began to glow, as he shrieked, "I'm tired of people always getting in my way, preventing me from enjoying the good things of life. Today, you have gone too far, so, Ranma, you will pay!"

An enormous battle aura showed around the gnome-like figure. Akane screamed, "Ranma, run!"

Hinako pulled out her five-yen piece and responded, "I know how to handle a delinquent like you." She cried, "Happo Go-en Satsu!" and promptly drained Happosai of his entire battle aura. Happosai fell to the ground, totally drained and powerless to move.

Ranma started forward only to be grabbed by the now adult Hinako. "Ranma, you have to help me! Draining him was a mistake. His aura is so perverted it makes me want to, no, it's too horrible to contemplate. Get me out of here, away from all the other males, hurry." She began pressing her body up against Ranma. Ranma began feeling very uncomfortable.

"Akane, tie up the old freak. Something's wrong with the teacher. Meet me at her apartment as soon as you can," Ranma cried. He gathered Hinako up in his arms and took off running. Hinako laid her head against his shoulder and began nibbling on his ear, turning Ranma's face beet red. As he vanished from sight, Akane heard him scream, "Akane, hurry!"

Akane ran downstairs with several of the other students as fast as she could. Quickly, under her direction, two of the boys wrapped chains around the old man, and dropped him into a barrel, and then nailed the lid onto the barrel. After wrapping a dozen more chains around the barrel, they rolled it into the boys' locker room, where Akane directed the entire boys class to stand guard. Once she was satisfied that she had done all that she could, she ran to Hinako's apartment.

Akane burst in to see Ranma being chased around the apartment by a half-naked Hinako. The furniture was scattered all over the comfortable apartment. Hinako was yelling, "Take me, Ranma, please! I need you!"

Akane started growling, "Ranma!"

"Less anger, more cold water!" Ranma gasped as he ran by, "Change me into a girl, quick!"

Akane filled a cup with cold water from the sink in the kitchen, and as Ranma ran by again, she splashed him. Ranma sighed with relief as he felt the transformation take place. She made the mistake of slowing down, and Hinako tackled her. Suddenly, Hinako rolled off her and said, "Thanks, Akane, Ranma. Put me to sleep quick, before I lose control again."

Ranma reached over and pushed the five pressure points that would cure her of her chi-draining abilities. Hinako promptly collapsed onto the floor. Ranma began gasping for breath, saying, "That was close, Akane. I was just about exhausted from her chasing me. If you hadn't of gotten here when you did, I was gonna be in big trouble."

"Why don't you start from the top and it'd better be a good explanation, Ranma," Akane said icily.

"Let's get her onto her bed first, and covered up," Ranma said with a sigh.

Akane grimaced and said, "Thank Kami we've only got fifteen more days before she's cured, and I'm not sure how much more of this I can take. She's staying adult much longer each time she transforms, too." She helped Ranma carry Hinako into her bedroom, where they left her, covered by her sheets.

"Okay, start talking mister, and your story better be good," Akane growled as they reentered the living room of the apartment.

"Like I said, something went wrong when she absorbed the chi from the old freak. I guess his chi is so perverted it overpowered her libido. She told me to get her away from all of the other males, while she was still barely in control of herself. She said on the way over to her apartment that she was extremely aroused and wanted to rip my clothes off right there on the school grounds. Once I got here, and put her down, she tore her clothes off and started chasing me. It was weird, first she'd yell for me to take her, and then she'd cry, 'no, don't let it happen this way.' Fortunately for all of us, you got here when you did," Ranma said quickly.

"That's crazy enough to be true, Ranma. All right, I believe you. But you're making it up to me tonight," Akane said, with a leer.

"Okay, who's the hentai now?" Ranma quipped. "What did you do with the old freak?" he asked.

"Chained him up, put him in a barrel, and then nailed the lid shut. After that, we chained the barrel up, and then put him in the middle of the boys' locker room," Akane replied.

"All right, I better get on over there. You stay here with Hinako, and don't let her out of the apartment. Especially keep her away from any guys until she reverts back to her child form. I think she'll be safe then. While you wait, try to get in touch with Mousse at the embassy and let him know we have Happosai," Ranma said.

"Okay, Ranma. I'll feel better knowing you're there with the old freak," Akane admitted. 'ANd not here with Hinako!' she thought.

Ranma left the apartment while Akane headed toward the phone. Akane called the Chinese Embassy and asked to speak to Mousse of the Joketsuzoku. When he got on the phone, Akane quickly briefed him on the situation. Mousse promised that he would get over to the school as quickly as he could. Akane then stared around the apartment, looking at the wreck that Hinako and Ranma had made of it. She sighed, and began placing the furniture back where it belonged. Every few minutes she would check on Hinako who was still in her adult form, writhing around the bed.

Ranma ran into the boys' locker room to find that everything appeared to be okay. The barrel was still intact, surrounded by the chains, and the boys guarding it swore that nothing had happened. He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight. He ordered, "Don't let any women in here. The old pervert gets his strength from woman's chi. I don't know how close he has to be to use it, but we better not take any chances. I really don't know how strong he is when he's at full strength, and I don't want to find out the hard way."

Ranma waited for what seemed like hours, watching the barrel. Finally, the barrel began to rock, just as Mousse arrived with several male guards. "Okay, Ranma. We can send these boys back to class," Mousse suggested, "I think you and I can take care of things now." The boys groaned but left at a glare from one of the guards.

"It looks like the old man is beginning to recover, Mousse. At least, if the fact that the barrel is rocking means anything," Ranma pointed out, "What do you suggest we do?"

"I got another message from Cologne after they reached the airport in Beijing. She said to keep him away from hot water, and to surround him with cold water," Mousse replied.

"Well, we can turn the cold water on in the shower room and roll the barrel in. I can also get the janitor to turn off the hot water to the locker room completely," Ranma suggested. 'So the old freak has a Jusenkyo curse, I wonder which one it is?' Ranma thought. Ranma hesitated and then told Mousse, "I need to stay away from the cold water as well."

"I know, Ranma. Cologne told me about you as well. Don't worry; I'll get him into the shower. You find the janitor," Mousse ordered. Ranma smiled in relief and headed off to find the janitor, while Mousse went into the shower and turned all of the cold water taps on. The guards slowly and carefully dragged the barrel into the middle of the spraying water. Just as they did so, the barrel exploded and Happosai jumped out, right into the middle of the spray.

The old man stopped, took in his surroundings and said, "Oh my, did he get out again? Did I do anything wrong?" Instead of the evil expression that had been on his face previously, now his features had resolved into a benign, almost grandfatherly expression.

"That's not important now, old man," Mousse replied, carefully, "The important thing is that you're back. Elder Cologne will be here tomorrow to take you home."

The old man smiled and said, "That's good. I always enjoy talking to her about the books I'm reading at the retreat."

Ranma walked in and stopped at the edge of the shower and asked, "Is everything okay now, Mousse? I found the janitor, and he's taking care of that other matter."

Mousse said, "Yes, the old man is back, and the pervert is gone."

"Do I know you, young man?" the old man asked.

Ranma face-faulted and then replied, "I'm Ranma Saotome. I don't guess we've actually met. What's going on here, Mousse?"

"I'm not sure. Cologne said she'd explain when she arrived. Apparently, he doesn't remember anything that happens when he is in the other form, though. That's all I can figure out," Mousse replied, "We'll take him back to the Embassy, now." Mousse walked out of the shower, followed by the old man, the guards taking up stations around him.

"Are you sure that's the wisest thing to do with him?" Ranma asked.

Mousse grimaced and replied, "That's what Cologne told me to do, and after this many years of obeying her, I'm not about to change now."

Ranma gave a wry smile of agreement, and replied, "Good luck, then. Will we see you at the Tendo's soon?"

"As quickly as I can get away. Tell Nabiki I'll call her as soon as I get back to the Embassy," Mousse replied. The cavalcade marched out of the locker room, with Ranma following, thoughtfully.


	43. Happosai's Story

Chapter43 Happosai's Story

As Ranma neared the door to Hinako's apartment, he began to hear a strange sound coming from somewhere. When he opened the door to the apartment, Ranma recognized the sound of someone moaning as if in pain. He saw Akane sitting on the sofa, her cheeks flaming bright red.

"Acchan, what's wrong with Hinako? Is she hurting?" Ranma asked worriedly, "Why aren't you in there checking up on her?"

Akane blushed even redder, not that Ranma had thought that was possible, and she replied, "No, she's not in pain. She woke up about an hour ago and started to get rid of her problem."

"What problem is that?" Ranma asked, perplexed.

Akane's mouth opened, but words failed her. She began to giggle at the look on Ranma's face. Finally, she was able to say, "The one that was causing her to chase you around her apartment in her underwear, baka!"

"You mean she's in there mast –," Ranma began, and then his face went bright red as he blushed furiously.

Akane simply nodded.

"She's been doing that for an hour! And you've been in here listening to it," Ranma said, "You're sure that's what she's doing."

"When she started moaning, I opened the door a little to take a look," Akane admitted.

Ranma gulped and then went to the sink and filled up a cup with cold water. He then used the cold water to change into a girl.

"What did you do that for?" Akane asked in surprise.

Ranma replied, "Insurance. Until I'm sure she's got it out of her system, it's safer this way, I hope."

"What happened when you got to the school?" Akane asked.

Ranma replied, "Well, when I got there, everything was still fine. The boys you had set to guard him were still there. They were sure disappointed when Mousse showed up a little later on with some instructions from Cologne, and we sent them back to class. It seems that Happosai has a cursed form as well, so we just rolled the barrel into the shower room and turned on all of the cold-water faucets. When he finally got out of the barrel, he was immediately soaked and changed into some sort of kindly old man. Mousse took him back to the embassy to wait for Cologne."

Akane began to laugh uncontrollably. Ranma tried hard to control it, but finally she joined in the laughter as well. A few moments later, Hinako's voice came from behind the closed door as she asked, "Okay, what's so funny you two?" She opened the door to her bedroom and the adult Hinako walked out, dressed in a baby doll nightgown with a dressing gown thrown casually over her shoulders, and loosely belted around her waist.

"Apparently, Happosai has a Jusenkyo curse that changes him into some sort of saintly old man," Akane replied.

Hinako began to laugh. As she did so, she began to change back to her child-like form. "Ranma, Akane, I want to thank you for the help you gave me today," Hinako said once she had finished changing.

"Don't you even think about saying, 'My pleasure,' Ranma!" Akane growled half in jest.

Ranma took one look at her wife, and wisely said nothing.

"Remind me not to drain him ever again. I never want to feel that out of control," Hinako said.

"Well, hopefully, you won't have to," Ranma said, "If the Amazons can keep the old pervert away from hot water, we should never see him again. Are you going to be okay now, Hinako?"

"Yes, though for some reason I'm starving," she replied.

With a straight face, Ranma said, "I can't imagine what could have caused that. Listen, why don't you get dressed and come home with us. I'd really like Tofu to take a look at you. There's no telling what that pervert's chi could have done to you."

Hinako looked a little worried, and then said, "That's probably a good idea, Ranma. I should have thought of that myself."

"Akane, don't look so shocked," Ranma grumbled, as Akane face-faulted. Ranma went back into the kitchen for some hot water.

When they arrived at their home, Ranma and Akane were pleasantly surprised to see Cologne in the family room talking to Kasumi and Tofu. "Good, Great grandmother, you're here. Now maybe we can find out something about the old pervert. Oh, that reminds me, Doc, could you take a look at Hinako? She drained the old freak Happosai this morning and it kind of did something to her. I want to make sure she's okay," Ranma said.

Cologne looked up quickly from her tea and asked, "She drained Happosai's chi! What happened to her?"

"Let's just say she had some urges," Akane replied, blushing. Hinako joined her in the blush.

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "you poor girl."

"You're right, I need to take a look at her," Tofu said.

Cologne asked, dryly, "May I join you Doctor? I do have a few years of expertise after all."

Tofu smiled and said, "That's a damn good suggestion, Elder. I should have thought of that myself. Hinako, this is Elder Cologne of the Joketsuzoku tribe in China. She is an expert in reading chi patterns. If it's alright with you, she would be a great deal of help."

The little girl looked doubtfully at the elderly woman, but Akane and Ranma smiled reassuringly at Hinako. She finally said, "I guess it would be okay. Do you need to see me both ways?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Is that okay with you, Ranma?" Tofu asked.

"It's my turn today, Tofu," Akane insisted, "Besides, it would probably be better for her if it was a real female tonight, anyway. Especially after what she went through this morning."

The four of them went of to the downstairs bedroom for the examination.

Ranma asked, "Where's Nabiki, Kasumi-chan?"

"Oh, she and Mousse are off in the dojo talking," Kasumi said with a twinkle in her eye, "After all, it's been almost a whole two days since she's seen him."

Ranma laughed and then asked, "So is your dad keeping an eye on them?"

"Ranma, of course not! We trust Mousse not to do anything improper," Kasumi said with a smile.

"I'm not worried about Mousse. You're right, I trust him. Nabiki on the other hand, I'm not too sure about," Ranma said, teasingly, "Is there anything to eat? What with all of the excitement today, Akane and I managed to miss lunch."

"Your Mom made some brownies. Then she and Shampoo went over to Ucchan's to ask Ukyo and Ryoga to come by for dinner," Kasumi replied.

"Mom made brownies? Yum," Ranma said as he almost ran into the kitchen.

"Save some for us!" Kasumi exclaimed.

Ranma came back from the kitchen with a tray of brownies and two glasses of milk. "I'm going to take these upstairs, and then go help with Akane," Ranma said.

"That's fine, I need to start working on dinner as well," Kasumi replied. The two of them made their departures, Ranma heading upstairs for the bedroom he shared with Akane, while Kasumi went into the kitchen.

At dinner, Cologne told them the tale of Happosai. She said, "About twenty years ago, one of our most promising warriors, in your tongue called Perfume, was leading a search party near the vale of Jusenkyo. Someone had crept into our village and stolen some of our most precious magical artifacts, leaving several of our warriors who were on guard unconscious. They came upon an exhausted, gnome-like man who was running away from the village. They stopped him, and asked who he was and what he was doing in our woods. He said his name was Happosai, and that he was just a wandering martial artist looking for techniques. One of the warriors got too close and he groped her, stealing her chi. That allowed him sufficient energy to run off again. They gave pursuit, and managed to trap him against one of the cliffs overlooking the vale. He used one of his weapons, something he called a Happo Fire Burst, but it misfired and blew him over the edge and into Shannannichuan, the Spring of Drowned Virtuous Man. Perfume fished him out of the spring, but he had no memory of who he had been. She brought him to the Elders for judgment, but that caused us a great dilemma. How could we punish someone who hadn't done anything wrong? We had no choice but to restore Happosai to his original state, but we made sure that he was heavily secured and drugged before we did so. After questioning him, we discovered that he had indeed been the thief that we were looking for, but that he had no recollection of where the artifacts were. He had lost them somehow in the pursuit. We also found that he was a most perverted man. The decision was made to return him to his cursed form, and ask him what we should do. We told him the entire story, and he said that a person as perverse as he did not deserve to live. That made our decision even more difficult, for now we knew that the saintly man did not deserve to die, and we did hope that eventually some of Happosai's memories might come back and tell us where our artifacts were. The decision was made, at my suggestion, to keep him in his cursed form and secure him in a retreat where he could do no harm."

"So the old freak has been in your custody for the last twenty years?" Ranma asked, "How did he get free?"

Cologne sighed and said, "Strictly by accident we thought. However, I have changed my mind based on something else that I discovered. I got a message from the Guide at Jusenkyo saying the guest book from twenty years ago had been stolen. Fortunately, we in the village always get a copy of the book every time it is full, so I was able to look in our copy and discover that Happosai had visited Jusenkyo then. Anyway, a young man, about twenty years old, had stumbled onto the retreat. He said he was looking for someone. He caused a great deal of trouble before the warriors at the retreat were able to run him off, but during that time, the routine got confused and a new warrior, who did not know the rules about Happosai, accidentally spilled hot soup on the old man that was in her charge. Happosai managed to escape but not before indicating he was heading here to find Mr. Tendo."

"Why was he looking for me?" Soun asked, his voice quavering.

Cologne said, "I don't know. That's one of the things I will ask him when we bring him back."

"Who was the young man, and why do you think he stole the guide book and was looking for Happosai?" Akane asked.

"We never did get the young man's name. But the Guide remembered seeing a young man at Jusenkyo. The Guide woke up from being knocked unconscious the next day. He said that there were strange tracks in the mud by his hut the day he discovered that the guest book had vanished. Those same tracks were found the day after the young man had disappeared from the retreat where Happosai had been kept. My guess it that the young man had received a Jusenkyo curse because of Happosai and had tracked him there somehow and was looking for vengeance," Cologne replied.

"Does he know that Happosai was coming here?" Kasumi asked.

Cologne replied, tiredly, "I don't know. I suppose it's possible."

"Just in case he shows up, did you get a description of him?" Nabiki asked.

Cologne said, "Well, he's reasonably tall, with dark, wavy hair. He was wearing a vest and bracers of some purple-scaled leather, and for some reason a sash made out of a pair of pantyhose. At least that's what I was told."

"Is Hinako okay from this morning?" Akane asked.

Tofu replied, "There doesn't seem to be any ill effect from the chi she absorbed from Happosai. She's still pretty tired, though. It might be good if she stays the night here."

"I don't want to impose," Hinako said in her little girl voice.

Kasumi said, "Nonsense, we have plenty of room, don't we Ranma?"

Ranma smiled and said, "Of course we do. You're definitely welcome to stay, Hinako."

"In that case, I accept. If it's okay with you, though, I think I will head on to bed," she replied, "Akane, can I borrow a t-shirt to sleep in again?"

"Sure, come on, let's go get you taken care of," Akane replied. The two of them headed upstairs.

Cologne said, "It's time I got back to the Embassy myself. It's been a long day for me, and I find that I need my rest."

As was her custom, Kasumi was up early, preparing breakfast for her family. This morning was a little different, however, as Ukyo, Nodoka and Shampoo were in there as well, helping fix the meal for the expanded family and friends who had spent the night. Only Cologne and Mousse had left the night before; albeit Mousse extremely reluctantly, and only after a sharp look from Cologne. The rest had stayed awake for several hours while planning what to do if the strange boy showed up or if somehow Happosai managed to get free again. Finally, everyone had separated to find a place to sleep. Ukyo had blushed for a second, and then had dared anyone to speak as she grabbed Ryoga by the hand and dragged him off to the dojo to spend the night.

Kasumi heard the sound of someone knocking on the front door. She made her way to the door and opened it. There standing in front of her was a reasonably attractive, young man, of around twenty years of age, with wavy, brown hair. He wore his hair with long bangs that hung in his eyes, with two strands of longer, curly hair in front of his ears. In each ear, he was wearing an earring. The young man was wearing a vest and bracers, and oddly enough a sash made out of pantyhose.

The young man said, "Excuse me, Miss. My name is Taro. Is this the home of Soun Tendo?"

"My father does live here, but the home now belongs to my sister and her husband," Kasumi said politely.

"Would it be possible for me to talk to him?" Taro asked.

Kasumi smiled pleasantly and replied, "It's a bit early for him. He usually doesn't get up for another hour. Would you like to wait?"

The young man shuffled nervously and then replied, "No, that's all right. I'll come back later. I hadn't realized it was so early. Sorry for disturbing you." Taro turned and walked down the path to the main gate and left the grounds.

Kasumi thought to herself, 'Oh my, what a polite young man.'

At breakfast, Nabiki said, "I think I'll join Cologne and Mousse in talking to Happosai to see if we can find out who this young man is, or anything else about him."

"Oh, he said his name was Taro. He was very polite when he was asking for Father. He was very bashful when he talked to me as well," Kasumi said.

Everyone face-faulted.

"Oh my, was it something I said," Kasumi said, then she giggled. 'It sure is fun doing that,' she thought to herself.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope everyone is still enjoying this.

Doctor Emmitt Brown, Thanks for the suggestion. I hope it works.

By the way, Happosai is one on my least favorite characters, ranking just above Principal Kuno, so that's why he shows up so rarely. He will show up again, though.


	44. The Evil Returns

Chapter 44 The Evil Returns

Later that morning, the family had gone their separate ways. Nabiki had done what she had proposed at breakfast, and had gone to the Chinese Embassy to assist in the interrogation of Happosai. She had successfully browbeaten her brother-in-law Tofu into going with her but to their surprise, Hinako had also volunteered to go as well. There was an uncommon look on her face as she made that announcement, the look of a warrior that was oddly placed on the face of a young, barely teenage girl.

Since it was a Sunday, Ranma had allowed himself to relax and play a few games of shogi with Soun. He had come to enjoy playing the game with his father-in-law, and hoped that it would somehow help ease the pain that he saw in Soun's eyes every time he looked at the board. Akane was teasing him, by performing katas by the koi pond, dressed in her shortest pair of shorts and a halter-top that might have had enough material in it to make a good bandage. Even with that distraction, Ranma was still holding his own in the game, though the sweat running down from his forehead indicated that she was affecting him.

Ukyo had dragged Ryoga off to the furoba for a long soak in the furo, loudly proclaiming that she couldn't trust him out of her sight since otherwise he would wander off and get lost again. Everyone had pretended to believe that explanation.

Nodoka had left to catch a train. She had begun amusing herself by randomly showing up in whatever town her ex-husband was currently staying in and tracking her down. Nodoka never did anything once she found her, except make sure that Genma had seen her. The look on Genma's face when she saw Nodoka standing there with her katana blade was always priceless. When Akane finally had asked why she was doing it, Nodoka had simply said, "Everyone needs a hobby, dear."

Shampoo had decided to play domestic and was helping Kasumi with the laundry. The two of them were busy hanging the current load of wash out on the clothesline to dry in the warm morning sun.

In other words, it was a quiet, peaceful morning in Nerima.

Cologne, Tofu, Hinako and Nabiki were standing in a secured room in the basement of the Chinese Embassy. Facing them was the diminutive figure of the man once known as Happosai. He was wrapped in chains securely fastened to large steel posts sunk deep into the concrete floor, with his eyes covered by a blindfold. Cologne said, "Thank you, Savant, for allowing us to do this. Again, I apologize for the indignity that we must put you through, but we must know what happened twenty years ago."

"I understand, Elder. Do what you must with my blessing, only promise me that he won't escape again," the old man said, "The evil that he can do must never be allowed to happen again."

Cologne nodded grimly and one of the guards approached the old man with a syringe. She injected him with the contents and then stepped back. After waiting for a few moments, the old man said, "It's beginning to take affect, Elder. I think it's safe."

A different guard approached with a bucket of warm water and poured it on the old man. Instantly his countenance changed as the saintly old man was replaced by a leering Happosai.

Happosai asked drowsily, "Where am I? Why have you blindfolded me?"

"You're where we can keep you secured, old man," Cologne replied, "And we want to ask you some questions."

"Tell us what you know of the valley of Jusenkyo," Nabiki began.

"Jusenkyo, hm. It is a training ground filled with many cursed springs. I've only been there once, because when I heard about the legend, I had to see it for myself. I couldn't believe that such a training ground actually existed," Happosai said.

"What happened when you were there?" Tofu asked.

A melancholy expression appeared on the face of the old man. "When I got to the valley, I found a young woman very close to giving birth. There was no else around for some reason, though there was a small hut. I helped her to the hut and placed her on the bed in there and helped her through her delivery of her son. That's when I found out about the nature of the curses."

"Why, what did you do?" Cologne asked.

"The baby boy needed to be cleaned of course, so I used one of the pools to wash him. That's when I discovered the nature of the springs. The cute baby boy I had helped deliver turned into a very small flying minotaur. The pool I had used was Niuhoomanmaorenniichuan, the spring of drowned yeti holding an eel and crane riding an ox. Fortunately, by that time the guide had returned from wherever he had been, and helped me change him back using hot water," Happosai replied.

Nabiki said, "So he's probably after you for revenge for getting him cursed. What were you doing there, anyway?"

Happosai leered and said, "I went there on my way to visit the legendary Amazon village. I had heard that there were many beautiful women there, with great martial art techniques, as well as many magical treasures."

"Where are the treasures you stole old man?" Cologne demanded.

Happosai chuckled dryly and replied, "Still harping about those treasures, eh Cologne? I've told you before they must have fallen out of the sack I had with me while your warriors were chasing me. Face it old woman, they're lost forever."

"I've got a different question, old man," Hinako began, "Why did you turn me into a chi vampire?"

Happosai's face grew calm as he replied, "Little Hinako, is that you? Of course, you're the one that drained me and allowed me to be taken. You're one of the few good things I've done in my life. What I did allowed you to live longer, but the ability you have was never supposed to be forever. I meant to remove it from you once you got your strength back, but unfortunately I ran afoul of the Amazons. You do need to have the process reversed now that you are an adult."

One of the guards said, "The sedative is beginning to wear off, Elder. We should change him back." At her nod, the guard threw a bucket of cold water over the diminutive gnome, and the saintly old man was returned to them.

Kasumi looked up from her laundry to see the young man from early this morning standing there at the back gate. "Hello, again, Taro-san," Kasumi greeted, "Father is playing shogi with my brother-in-law. Can I take you to him?"

"That would be nice, Miss," Taro replied.

Kasumi led him around the front of the house to the side yard, where Taro stopped for a second looking at the idyllic scene in front of him. An attractive blue-black haired girl was performing a kata, while a lavender-haired beauty was carrying a tray of lemonade out from the house. A young couple was sitting on the steps, holding hands, and talking to each other, while a young man and an older man were sitting on the floor playing shogi.

The lavender-haired girl walked over and stared at Taro.

Taro stared back and asked, "What the hell are you looking at?"

"Why do ya have a belt made out of pantyhose?" she replied.

Taro began to bristle, and said, angrily, "None of your business, girlie! I came here to talk to the men anyway, not some barely literate girl!" Ranma looked up to see the beginning of the altercation and stood up.

Ranma began, "You must be Taro. What can we do for you?"

When suddenly, he was interrupted by an irate Shampoo. "You can't talk to me like that, male, DIE!" screamed Shampoo. She charged the young man, swinging her bonborri. Taro jumped out of the way, and as she ran past, hit her first in the stomach, and then in the side of the head, knocking her out. "Sorry, girl," he gasped.

Ukyo yelled, "Hey, you panty-hosed bastard, you can't hurt my friends like that!" She stood up and threw several of her spatulas at Taro, who dodged all but one.

Ranma flexed his fingers in anticipation of the fight to come. He smiled and said, "The Amazons warned us you might come. I've been waiting for you. I'm different from the sparring partners you've had until now. You won't beat me up so easily." Ranma rushed forward and tackled him away from Shampoo. His rush knocked the two of them into the koi pond. 'At least I'll be faster!' she thought as she finished the transformation. Then to her shock, she saw Taro transform into a minotaur with wings.

Ranma exploded out of the water, and screamed, "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken," and began pummeling the minotaur, avoiding the blows from the beast. Ukyo kept slamming the monster on the other side with her battle spatula, while Ryoga was punching the minotaur in the face. Akane started pulling Shampoo out of the way to keep her from getting trampled by the fighters.

Taro struggled out of the way of the blows from the red-haired girl. He felt something give in his side and realized that there were just too many fighters for him to take on all at once. With his forepaw, he slammed the fighter in front of him into the wall of the compound, where he slowly slid down, unconscious. The red-haired girl he knocked back into the pond. He grabbed the purple-haired girl that he had knocked out and used her as a shield, slowly launching himself into the air as he did so.

Ranma cursed to herself as she saw Taro slowly fly off with Shampoo in his clutches. Ranma jumped out of the pond, and caught the cell phone with GPS that Akane tossed her. Akane yelled, "Go, we'll catch up as quick as we can, Ranma!" Ranma started running as fast as she could, trying to keep the flying beast in her sight. The beast was obviously in some pain, as he couldn't fly very fast.

Ukyo ran over to Ryoga to find him unconscious, and barely breathing. "Ryoga needs help; somebody call an ambulance." She fell to her knees beside him and said, fervently, "Ryoga, don't you dare leave me! I need you, our baby needs you!" Suddenly she paled as she realized everyone had gone quiet around her. "Oops!" she said.

Shampoo slowly woke up to find herself tied up with pantyhose against a post in some sort of building with windows on every side that she could see, and a high-pitched roof, supported by many posts. Turning her head slightly, she could see the boy who had knocked her out and carried her off, sitting there pensively looking out one of the windows, talking to himself. Shampoo strained her ears to listen and hear what he was saying. Feh, that went real well, idiot. I can't believe I let my temper run away on me like that. Just because that cute girl asked about my sash. They could have been allies if I'd only not overreacted, Taro said in a Chinese dialect that was similar enough to Shampoo's that she could mostly understand it. He continued, and said, Then on top of all of that, I had to kidnap this girl. Just what was I thinking? I should have left her there!

With a hint of amusement in her voice, Shampoo said softly, It wouldn't have mattered if you left me behind, husband. I would have followed you.

Taro turned to stare at Shampoo and then groaned. Don't tell me you're from Joketsuzoku! And I beat you in combat too, didn't I!

Shampoo giggled at the expression of dismay on his face. Yes, husband, I am. My name is Xian Pu from Joketsuzoku. You beat me in fair combat and are an outsider to our village, so according to our traditions, I must give you the kiss of marriage. She sighed and then continued, At least you're cute and somewhere near my age.

Taro blushed and squirmed nervously. He asked, bashfully, Why are you being so nice to me?

"Because, baka, I like ya," Shampoo replied seriously. Then her eyes narrowed as she saw the rough bandage on his side. "Do ya need me ta take a look at that wound? That bandage doesn't look like it's working," she asked.

"You promise not to escape?" Taro asked.

Shampoo shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Of course. Why would I want to escape anyway? My brother is leading our friends and they will be here soon. Once that happens we can talk ta him and straighten out this mess. He doesn't like the old pervert anymore than you do, so there's no need for us ta fight."

Taro's shoulders sagged as he said, "So I did overreact, didn't I? Alright, Shampoo, I'll come untie you." Taro walked over and undid the knots in the pantyhose securing her to the post.

She smiled and kissed him, full on the mouth, saying, "Wo ni Airen. There, now we've got that out of the way." She snickered at the sight of the blood trickling out of Taro's nose. She began to unwrap the bandage from his side, tsking as she did so, her mouth in a frown of concentration. Once she got the wound exposed, she relaxed, and said, "It's not as bad as I thought it would be. But it looks like Ranma did get in a few good hits." She carefully pressed a couple of soft spots and continued, "You may have a cracked rib here as well, Airen." Getting some water, she carefully cleaned the wound and then bound it up in a clean bandage, wrapping it around his chest, tying it tightly. Taro winced at the pain, causing Shampoo to giggle. "Big, tough, martial artist, huh?" she said lightly. Then she grew serious again and asked, "What do ya want with Happosai? And why did me asking about that sash set ya off like it did?"

Taro looked down and said, nervously, "Because that old man ruined my life and I want him to fix it. When I was born, my mother needed help and he provided it. She went into labor in the valley of Juesnkyo, while the old freak was visiting. He took pity on her and helped her with the delivery. That's also how I got my cursed form. He washed me in one of the pools of water that were in the valley, not knowing that it was Niuhoomanmaorenniichuan, the spring of drowned yeti holding an eel and crane riding an ox. In gratitude for his help, she gave him the honor of picking my name. After three days of intensive thinking, he selected the name he gave me, one so horrible that I wear this sash as a reminder. According to the laws and traditions of my people, only Happosai can change my name to something else, unless he is dead."

Shampoo exclaimed, "That's it? Ya just want him ta change your name! You're not upset about the curse?"

"No, actually, I kind of like my cursed form. I think it's really cool to be able to fly," Taro said, his eyes taking on a distant look, "Plus, becoming a giant flying minotaur allows me to fight off most anything that wants to attack me. Yeah, all I really want is for the old freak to take away my name and give me a new one that I like."

Ranma followed the flying beast until she saw it land on a small promontory overlooking the ocean. A fast-flowing river was on one side of her, cutting a path through the forest, until it fell to the water far below. On top of the headland, she saw the remains of a large temple, with windows on all of the walls visible. Ranma used the cell phone, and called Akane. "Dear, I'm west of Nerima, almost to the ocean. He followed the river, until it joined the sea. It looks like he's holed up in an old, abandoned temple. How far behind me are you?"

She listened for a while and replied, "Good, sounds like you'll be here in a couple of hours. I'll set up camp here and wait for you to join me. Luv ya, bye." She hung up the phone, and began setting up a fire pit and getting firewood in a clearing that allowed her to see the temple. She lit a fire in the fire pit.

About four hours later, Akane, Ukyo and Ryoga came staggering in, carrying three backpacks. Ranma was glad to see Ryoga; the last thing she remembered seeing was the crash that Ryoga had made into the stone wall around the Tendo home. "How are you doing, Ryoga? You had me worried," she said. Ranma took the backpack from Akane and began to pull their tent out of the backpack.

"The baka is in pain. He refused to go to the hospital, and he wouldn't let me come here by myself," Ukyo said in disgust.

"You shouldn't be here, anyway," Akane said heatedly, "Not in your condition."

Ranma stopped in setting up the tent and asked, "What condition?"

"She's pregnant," Ryoga said, "We just found out." Ranma face-faulted.

Ukyo replied, adamantly, "I had to come, Shampoo is my friend as well. You came and you've got at least some bruised ribs."

Ranma sighed in exasperation, and said, "Neither one of you should be here. Promise me you'll try to stay of of close combat, Ucchan. You as well, Ryoga. I don't want to lose any of you." Then he deliberately changed the subject, and said, "Congratulations, both of you. If you need any help, you can count on us. When did you get married?"

Ukyo and Ryoga blushed. Ryoga replied, "Uh, last week we went down to the town hall."

"And you didn't tell anyone?" Akane asked, "I think I'm hurt. By the way, Ranma, I reminded Tofu about Hinako. He promised that they would make sure they gave her the treatment for her condition."

"Ucchan, can you and Akane whip up some dinner, while Ryoga and I get the tents up?" Ranma asked.

"Sure thing, sugar," Ukyo replied, "I'll get some water on to boil as well." The two girls started to prepare dinner, while Ranma and Ryoga set up the tents. Ranma took a short break to change back into her male form once the water was warm enough.

The four friends ate their dinner. "Morning will be here soon enough, we need to get some sleep," Akane said. They cleanedup and then separated to their two tents.


	45. The Monster from Jusenkyo

Chapter 45 The Monster From Jusenkyo

Shampoo slowly opened her eyes, savoring the feeling of the strong arms holding her and the warmth of the body lying next to her. She smiled as she saw her Airen gazing back at her, his mouth quirked in an odd smile. "Morning," Taro mumbled, "You know, I could get used to waking up like this, Shampoo."

Shampoo pouted prettily and replied, "I certainly hope so. You're my husband now, so you better get used ta me being here."

Taro leaned forward, closing the distance between them and kissed her. Then he pulled away, with a slight frown and said, "You do know your friends will be showing up today to 'rescue' you from the 'horrible monster,' don't you? They're down at the bottom of the cliff, and will be climbing up soon."

"Yes, Ranma especially will have to come. He can't help being the hero, it's in his nature. I really want the two of you to become friends. He is the closest thing that I have ever had to a big brother, and I'm afraid he takes that role pretty seriously," Shampoo answered softly.

"I won't start anything if he doesn't," Taro promised, "I expect that there's really no reason for us to be antagonistic toward each other. I wish I hadn't made such a bad impression. But there's no real reason for him to hold what happened against me. And, besides, anyone who dislikes the old freak like he does can't be all bad. At least we have that in common."

"Among other things," Shampoo teased, then she added, "When they get here, we need to head back home to Nerima." Shampoo froze for a second and then asked, softly, "When did I start thinking of Nerima as home?"

"So, have you two made any plans, yet, Ukyo?" Akane asked quietly, while the two boys occupied themselves by taking down the tents.

Ukyo replied, her cheeks rosy, "Not really, I'm afraid. This kind of caught us by surprise. Other than getting married last week, we haven't thought much about the future."

Akane looked around carefully and then asked, "How did it happen, anyway? I have to admit, I was surprised when you blurted out that you were pregnant. I didn't think you two were lovers."

Ukyo looked down at her hands, her forefingers tapping each other in embarrassment. She hesitated and then replied, "Well, we've been sharing a bed ever since Ryoga swapped curses. That first night, she looked so lost; I just had to move her in so I could comfort her. After awhile, we just got used to being together. Then about three weeks ago, the month was over and Ryoga changed back. We cuddled a little bit, and then the next thing I knew I was in his lap, kissing him like there was no tomorrow. Well, things got a little hot and heavy and we did the deed." By this point Ukyo was blushing furiously.

Akane snickered. "I guess Tofu was right. He said people who didn't use birth control are usually called parents," she said, with a wry smile.

"We only did it once without using protection," Ukyo said, with a sniff.

Akane raised an eyebrow at that. "Once is all it takes, you know. Actually I don't know whether I should be jealous of you, or happy for you, Ukyo, or maybe I should be both," Akane replied after a few minutes, "Ranma and I decided that we would wait a while before we tried for children. But a big part of me wants to be a mother. What Ranma said last night goes for all of us. If you need any help, let me know."

"Thanks, sugar," Ukyo said, "That means a lot to me."

"Hey, what's family for," Akane replied simply as she hugged Ukyo.

"Hey, are you two done with your girl talk?" Ranma called from where he and Ryoga were standing, amusement in his voice, "We have a bit of a climb." The four young adults stood looking up at the cliff face soaring high above them, with the ruins of the old temple looming ominously at its top. "I think I see a path going up to the top," Ranma said as he pointed.

As they began their ascent up the steep hillside to the path that Ranma had noticed, they discovered one of the reasons that Taro had selected this cliff face as the place for his stand. Ryoga accidentally poked a hole in the ground with his umbrella and a stream of cold water came gushing out, soaking the four of them and instantly transforming Ranma and Ryoga. Ranma brushed the hair out of her eyes and glared at Ryoga for a second, only to see Ryoga stop and point up to the sky. "Hey, isn't that Taro flying around up there?" the brown-haired girl asked. The other three girls looked up into the air where Ryoga was pointing to see the winged minotaur flying down from the temple. As he got nearer, they saw that Shampoo was riding on his back, one hand holding on tightly and the other one waving at them.

As they reached the path, they saw that up ahead of them it opened up into a large clearing. Taro swooped down and landed gently. Shampoo hopped down to the ground to stand next to him. She pulled a thermos out and poured the contents over the monstrous form standing next to her, transforming Taro back into his human form. With a frank smile of appreciation, Shampoo stared at the nude young man standing next to her, a little drool on the side of her mouth. Taro blushed furiously as he scrambled into the clothing she was holding. He had just finished getting dressed when the four friends burst into the clearing.

When Ranma and Ryoga saw Taro standing there, they immediately bristled and rushed toward Taro. Shampoo yelled, "STOP, Ranma! There's no need to fight my Airen!"

Ranma stopped with a puzzled look on his face and then groaned. "Oh no, that stupid Amazon law! Shampoo, you don't have to follow it and marry someone you don't love."

"No, I'm very happy, brother! I want to be his wife. Airen is a big, strong warrior," Shampoo exclaimed. Ranma face-faulted at Shampoo's declaration.

Taro said, "Hey, femboy, we need to talk anyway. Why don't you and I work this out? For what it's worth, I'm sorry that we got off on the wrong foot. I really just wanted Happosai."

Ranma frowned and said, "You know, a few months ago, calling me that might have irritated me. Now, I don't give a damn, one way or another. But you hurt my friends, and kidnapped another. I'm not sure how you expect me to work this out."

Shampoo exchanged a glance with Akane and mouthed the word, "Help!" Akane stared at her for a second and then realized she was serious.

"Hey, Ranchan! There's no need for you two to play alpha male," Akane snapped, "Why don't you two sit down and talk like adults? I bet you have a lot more in common than you think."

Ranma glared at Taro who shrugged his shoulders. He finally said, "Okay, I guess we can talk first." Ranma dropped to the ground and sat, with her arms folded across her chest. Taro stared at her for a moment and then followed suit.

"Okay, you wanted to talk," Ranma growled.

Taro glared at her and then said, "Like I said before, all I really wanted was to find out where the old pervert was. The people I talked to in China said he would probably show up at the Tendo home, and that's why I came. I'm sorry everything blew up yesterday. I'm just a little sensitive about certain things."

"So what do you want with the freak? Are you looking for vengeance against him because of your curse?" Ranma asked.

Taro sighed and answered, "No, I actually like the curse. Can you imagine what it's like to be able to fly? It's the greatest thing in the world." For a few seconds, Taro's eyes grew soft as he remembered the feeling he got as he soared through the sky, flying from thermal to thermal. Finally, he returned to the conversation and said, "No, I just need him to give me a new name is all. When I was born, he was given the honor of naming me, but the name he gave me was so horrible, that I was the laughing stock of my village. Unfortunately, according to our traditions, he is the only one who can give me a new name."

"Is that all? It must be a pretty horrible name," Ranma asked in surprise, "What did he name you?"

Taro glared at him and replied, "Just trust me, it's bad. You don't really need to know."

Ranma bristled and said, "You can whisper it to me. I won't tell anyone else on my honor as a martial artist. But you're not gonna get my help otherwise."

Taro glanced at Shampoo who nodded. He took a deep breath and said, "All right, but you better not laugh." He leaned over and whispered something into Ranma's ear.

Ranma face-faulted and then she began to snicker. After a few seconds, she sobered up and said, "Sorry, Taro. You're right, that's horrible. I can see why you want it changed. Okay, I'll call Nabiki and have her set it up. As soon as we get back home, you'll be able to meet him. With our help, it shouldn't take much convincing to have him change it." She stood up and waited for Taro to join her. She held out her hand, and Taro clasped it. Ranma turned and said, "I guess we don't need to rescue Shampoo after all. Let's head on back to Nerima."

Taro said, "I'm not gonna walk when I can fly. We'll meet you at the Tendo home." He walked behind some trees, followed by Shampoo, and then returned, changed back into his cursed form. Shampoo came out carrying his clothing and then climbed up on his back.

"Thanks for coming to save me, all of you, even if it really wasn't necessary," Shampoo said. Then Taro sprang up into the air, his wings beating strongly as he climbed.

Ranma watched for a second, and then headed down the path, back toward Nerima, followed by the other three. "Well, that was a bit anti-climatic," Ukyo said.

"I'm just as happy that we didn't have to fight," Akane said, "I wasn't looking forward to fighting him in his cursed form, and I'm not sure how well Shampoo would have taken it if we did fight him anyway."

Taro landed in the park in Nerima. After changing back with the water that Shampoo had in her thermos, and getting dressed, the two of them made their way to the Tendo home. As they entered the courtyard, they found Nabiki and Mousse waiting for them. She held up her hand and said, "I've talked to Ranma on the phone, Taro, so I know all about why you're here, but you're not coming into this house until you apologize for what you've done."

"Nabiki," Taro said, slowly, "I admit I overreacted. I'm sorry things happened the way they did, but aside from Ryoga, no one was really hurt. Plus, it seems that I've found a wife."

Nabiki face-faulted and then looked at Shampoo and said, "He defeated you in combat, didn't he? So you decided to follow those old laws again, after all. How come?"

Shampoo blushed and said, "I'll tell you later, Nabiki. I wouldn't want his ego any bigger than it already is."

Taro protested mildly, "Hey, you two, I'm still standing right here. If you want to insult me, I'll leave."

Shampoo linked her arm with him and said, "You're not going anywhere without me."

"Now that we've got that settled, Mousse and I will take you to where they have Happosai," Nabiki said, "He's going to be a little groggy, what with the drugs that we had in his system when we were interrogating him. Cologne says that he will be more than happy to change your name."

The four youths headed out to the Chinese Embassy, where they were met by Cologne. They followed her to a secured room in the basement of the Chinese Embassy. Facing them was the diminutive figure of the man known as Happosai. He was wrapped in chains securely fastened to large steel posts sunk deep into the concrete floor, with his eyes covered by a blindfold. Taro growled angrily when he saw the man who had ruined his life. Shampoo placed her hand on his arm and said, "Gently, Airen. He has agreed, remember?"

Taro turned to the gorgeous woman standing next to him and replied, "Yeah, I remember. But it still angers me to see him." Then in a loud voice, he said, "All right, you old freak, you gonna give me a new name now, or what?"

"I said I would when the elder asked me. What would you like to be called?" the old man asked, in a weak voice, slightly slurred.

Taro stood lost in thought for a second and then answered, "I want to be named Awe Some Taro."

"All right, then as the person who first washed you as a baby, and by the laws and traditions of your people, I hereby name you Awe Some," the old man said.

"That's it? That's all it took?" Nabiki asked in surprise.

Taro looked up, his normal sneering expression gone, and replied, "My people are a simple people. They don't have elaborate ceremonies. This is indeed all that is required." Then he turned to Cologne and said, "Thank you for your help, Elder Cologne." He turned and left the room, closely followed by the other three youths.

Cologne motioned to one of the guards, and she began removing the chains that had secured the old man to the ground. "Thank you for your assistance in this matter, Savant," Cologne said.

"That young man didn't deserve what happened to him. I'm surprised he's not more bitter than he is after what that perverted man did to him," the old man responded, "Hopefully, now that he has found someone who cares for him, he will lose that awful chip he's carrying around."

"Yes, my great granddaughter did call him Airen, didn't she?" Cologne mused, "After a few rough edges are ground off of him, he would make a worthy mate for her. She could certainly do worse. Well, I'd better go finalize the arrangements to get us home. Knowing Shampoo, she's probably packing to go there now."

Ranma looked up as Nabiki, Mousse, Taro and Shampoo walked into the family room. "Thank you, Ranma, for setting things in place," Taro said, bowing to the surprised young man.

"Aw, you would have done the same, man. I take it everything went according to plan?" Ranma replied.

"Yes, the old man was surprisingly good about the whole thing. I am now Awe Some Taro," Taro said proudly.

"Come, husband, you can help me pack," Shampoo said.

"Pack?" Akane asked.

Shampoo twined her arms around her husband-to-be and said, "Yes, I'm going to take him back to my village for a brief stay. I need to show off the catch I made. There we will be married according to my peoples' customs as soon as great grandmother can join us."

Ranma suggested, "You might have Taro try to fly around wherever the old man was running the night he stole those treasures. Maybe he can see something from the air that your people would have overlooked from the ground."

Shampoo looked at Ranma in surprise and said, "That's an excellent idea, Ranma."

"You will come back, won't you?" Akane asked.

"Yes, we will. Somehow this has become my home," Shampoo replied.

Akane opened the door to her house, to see Mr. Kuonji standing there on the entry porch, his face grim.

"Hello, Mr. Kuonji, what a nice surprise. Are you looking for your daughter? If you are, she's at the restaurant."

"No, actually I'm looking for the Saotomes," he said, his voice cold.

"Mr. Saotome doesn't live here any more. He left on some sort of training trip after he lost the mastery of the school to Ranma, and his wife divorced him. She moved back into her home," Akane replied.

"Then where's his worthless son," Kuonji snapped, "And yes, I found out about his curse, so don't try to pull any thing."

Akane's eyes grew cold as she replied, icily, "MY husband is in the dojo working on some katas for the school. If you'll follow me, you can wait in the family room while I let him know that you are here." She led him into the family room, and walked down the covered path to the dojo. There she waited for Ranma to notice her presence. Once he turned to her, she said, simply, "Kuonji is here and he's not happy. He found out about you, somehow."

Ranma sighed and said, "Well, it was too much to hope that things would work out smoothly. I guess I need to talk to him. You need to warn Ucchan that he's here, in case she doesn't know." He grabbed a towel and wiped off the perspiration from his forehead and went with Akane to the house.

As he entered the family room, Ukyo's father glared at him. "So, what I was told is true. You lied to me to get out of an honorable engagement. I expect you to do the honorable thing," he snarled. Akane glared at the older man, and then went to find a telephone.

"What honorable thing would that be, Mr. Kuonji? We attempted to satisfy honor as best we could, given the situation that my unworthy father placed me in," Ranma said evenly.

"You should have honored the engagement with my daughter and married her! Now, the only thing that will erase the stain is your death," the older man replied, angrily.

Ranma replied, calmly, "And why did your agreement with my father have any more importance than the other five or six that he made. Your daughter wasn't even the first one that he engaged me to just to feed his appetites, and certainly wasn't the only one that he received a dowry from. Just how was I supposed to honor all of the engagements? I couldn't marry all of the girls, now could I? So instead, I married the girl I fell in love with, and attempted to end the others with as much dignity and honor as I could. I'm not happy with the deception we pulled on you, but your arrival had Ukyo in a panic, and that was the best plan we came up with. And if you think I'm gonna commit seppuku for something my idiot father did, you're crazy."

Kuonji glared at the younger man and replied, "You were engaged to five or six women? That bastard! But it still doesn't change the fact that you should be wed to my daughter."

"She doesn't love me; she loves another. Are you so blind that you would ruin four people's happiness? For what, because your pride is hurt? Besides, when Mom divorced Pop, we left the Saotome clan roll and she ended all of the engagements," Ranma said, "While I still use the Saotome name, I am no longer his son, nor am I bound by his agreements. He is the keeper of what is left of the Saotome family honor."

Akane walked back into the family room, and said, "They'll be here in a few minutes, Ranma. Your daughter has a few things to tell you apparently, Mr. Kuonji. Things have changed in Nerima since you were last here."

"You had no right to call her and tell her I was here," Kuonji said.

"I have every right. She is my friend, and Ranma is MY husband. Anything that affects either of them affects me. If you don't want to see her, that's your problem, not mine," Akane replied, her annoyance plain on her face.

"I'm curious about how you found out that I had a Jusenkyo curse," Ranma said, "How did you find out about it?"

"I was on a business trip in Sappora, when I ran into this woman. It was your father. She described what had happened to her. It was hard for me to believe, at first, but she provided enough details of the conversations that your father and I had had in the past that I had to believe her," Kuonji replied.

"Pop," Ranma growled angrily, "I guess I need to do something about her. Or maybe I'll let Mom out of her promise."

Ukyo and Ryoga walked into the family room. "Hello, Father," Ukyo said, her eyes wary, "What a surprise to see you here! I'm a little hurt that you didn't let me know that you were coming. I also guess that you didn't get my letter yet."

"I'm not happy with you, Daughter," Kuonji said angrily, "You encouraged this deception about Ranma and failed in both of your means for vengeance. Have you no honor?"

Ukyo's eyes grew cold as she said, "I did what I thought was best, Father. After all, what honor is there in hurting someone who had nothing to do with the engagement. Ranma and Akane are my friends, and I would not ever wish to come between them, or hurt them. As to the real villian in this story, I helped in his punishment. I was one of the ones who decided that Genma needed to be changed into a woman, and I convinced Ranma that he should trap his father in that form."

"You still should have pursued the marriage with Saotome. Our family honor demanded that," Kuonji growled., "Tell me why I shouldn't just disown you now for failing to do that?"

"How can you talk to your daughter that way?" Ryoga growled, "You don't talk to my wife like that, even if you are her father. Actually, I'm not sure that you're worthy of being her father. How could you have entered into an arrangement with Saotome, a man you barely knew? You're as bad as Genma ever was."

"She's your wife!" Kuonji exclaimed.

"Yes, I'm his wife, and he is the father of my child," Ukyo said angrily, "We are married and very happy together. Now if you want to be any part of my life ever again, you had better change your tune. It's your choice, either respect and honor the decisions that I have made in my life, or get the hell out of here and never try to contact me again. I've lived without you for this long, I can damn well live with out you forever!"

"Ukyo, you don't need to do that," Ryoga said appalled.

"Yeah, we really don't need to be lobbing hand grenades like that around," Akane said in agreement.

Ranma looked at the father and daughter pair in front of him and said, "I think you two need to take a deep breath and relax before anything else gets said that might throw you two over the precipice."

"You feel that strongly about what you did?" Kuonji said in surprise.

"Yes, Father," Ukyo replied, proudly, "As I said before, I will NOT hurt my friends. If that means I have to cut the ties with my birth family, then so be it. They are more of a family to me than you have been, anyway."

Kuonji looked up with a troubled expression on his face. After a few moments of thought, he responded, "I don't know what to think of all of this, Daughter. I will leave you now to ponder all that I have learned. It's not as cut and dried as I thought it was when I came here. I will let you know what I decide." He bowed slightly to Ryoga and then left the four of them standing there.

"Ukyo, I'm sorry about all of this. It looks like Pop is still trying to screw up all of our lives. She certainly isn't learning the lessons I hoped that she would from all of this," Ranma said sadly.

"It's not your fault your father is a bitch," Ukyo said.

Author's notes: Finally, the writer's block broke. I hope people are still interested in this epic.


	46. Target: Hinako

Chapter 46 Target: Hinako

Ryoga entered the upstairs apartment at Ucchan's to find his wife sitting on the futon in the living room, silently crying. A letter was lying face down on the futon next to her where it had fallen from her nerveless fingers. Ryoga rushed over to join her, and asked, his voice filled with concern and tenderness, "What's wrong dear?"

Wordlessly she handed him the letter. As Ryoga read the words, a feeling of rage began to fill him. Finally he finished the letter and said, angrily, "Damn that bastard. I can't believe he would do that to you!" He pulled her into an embrace and allowed her to cry on his shoulder. Shuddering, he allowed the anger to dissipate, knowing that she didn't need him angry. She needed tenderness and care instead. "It'll be okay, dear," he soothed, "Who cares if he disowned you. You're MY wife now, and he has no right to say that you are honorless. You got vengeance on the person who dishonored you and that should have been good enough. If your father can't see that, then he isn't worthy to call you daughter."

Ryoga wasn't sure exactly how long the two of them sat there, with him holding his wife. Ukyo eventually had cried herself to sleep, allowing Ryoga to begin to imagine how he would punish Kuonji for hurting his wife so badly. He was roused from his dreams of vengeance by someone knocking on the door to the apartment. Then he heard Ranma ask through the door, "Ryoga, Ukyo, is someone in there?"

"Come on in, it's open," Ryoga replied in a rusty voice. Ranma opened the door and walked in, only to stop in consternation at the sight in front of him. The murderous look on Ryoga's face, the tear-streaked look on the sleeping Ukyo, shouted strongly that something was wrong. "What happened, Ryoga?" Ranma asked softly.

"Kuonji threw her out of the family. He didn't even have the courtesy to tell her in person. Instead he wrote her a letter to say that she did not deserve to be a Kuonji, since she didn't kill Genma and you, or fulfil the engagement," Ryoga growled dangerously.

Ranma's face paled as he went white-hot with rage. He balled his fists and began to curse silently under his breath. Finally, after taking several deep breaths, he calmed himself and asked in an oddly strained voice, "Can you wake her up? I need to talk to her alone for a few minutes."

Ryoga narrowed his eyes and then nodded abruptly. He gently shook his wife awake. Ukyo slowly opened her eyes and saw Ranma standing near her, gazing at her uncertainly.

"Hey, sugar, what are you doing here?" she asked softly.

Ranma frowned in embarrassment as he suddenly recalled why he was there in the first place. "Kasumi sent me over to see if the two of you would like to join us for dinner. But that's not important right now," he replied.

Ryoga gently detached himself from his wife and said, "Ranma knows what happened. He wanted to talk to you about something." He stood up, stared uncertainly at Ranma and then walked into the bedroom, leaving the two of them alone.

Ranma dropped to his knees and bowed formally. "Gomen nasai, Ukyo. Once again, Genma Saotome has caused you pain. As scion of Clan Saotome, what can I offer as atonement for that unworthy one's actions?" Ranma asked formally.

Ukyo paled and replied, "Ranma. No, Ranchan, I meant what I told my father.." She stopped and choked back a sob. "What I told Kuonji. That if I had to chose between my friends and him, my choice was clear. I couldn't hurt either you or Akane. It's not your fault that I am clanless. Well, not exactly clanless, but parentless," she said softly.

Ranma looked down at the floor and said, "You don't have to remain parentless, Ucchan. I am sure my mother would be honored to have you as a daughter and nothing would please me more than to be able to call you sister. Mom would ask you this if she were here, but Ukyo, in her stead, I make this offer. Come join our family as my sister."

Ukyo looked shocked. "I don't know. Why now sugar?" she asked.

Ranma looked directly at her and replied, "Because before you had a parent, at least on paper, and I had hoped that he would understand how you felt. Especially after you admitted that you were in love with Ryoga. Now that he has deserted you for real, I wanted you to know that you still had someone else who wanted you in their family."

"Let me think about it, Ranchan," she responded, "This has been an emotional day for me and I'm not really thinking that clearly right now."

"Sure, take the time you need, Ucchan. This isn't something I expect you to decide on the spot. You need to talk it over with Ryoga, and get his feelings on the idea. After all, he might not want me as a brother-in-law," Ranma replied, "Now, are you guys coming to dinner, or are you gonna disappoint Kasumi?"

Ukyo smiled weakly and replied, "No never. No one disappoints Kasumi. We'll be there. Thanks sugar."

Ranma smiled and replied, "That's what friends are for, Ucchan." He stood up and offered her a hug, with she gratefully accepted. Then he let himself out of the apartment and headed back toward his home.

Ryoga opened the door to find his wife by herself. She was looking better now than when he had left her with Ranma. She looked up and said, "He asked if I would consider becoming his sister. I told him I needed to think about it for a while."

"You don't really need to do that. You are part of the Hibiki clan now," Ryoga said.

"True, but if I accepted the offer, I would have Nodoka as a mother. That's something that I missed growing up, not having a mother, a real family. If I do accept, I'll have that as well as our family," Ukyo said calmly. Then she smiled and said, "Ranma said he could understand if you didn't want him as a brother-in-law."

Ryoga chuckled drily and replied, "No, he's okay. I can think of worse people to be related to. I'll support you whichever you decide."

Soun tugged nervously at the collar of his suit as he approached the apartment door. Before he got there, his nerve broke and he turned to flee, only to be stopped by a soft voice, "Mr. Tendo, I'm glad to see you."

Soun turned and saw Hinako Ninomayi, standing there, smiling angelically, in a simple blue dress. "Hello, Miss Ninomayi, I came to see how you were. My son-in-law said that you had been cured of what the old pervert had done to you. I thought that, perhaps, since I was once his disciple, that maybe I could take you to dinner to celebrate this happy occasion."

Hinako's eyes widened as she blushed, "Are you asking me out on a date, Mr. Tendo?"

He stammered and replied, "I'm very rusty at this, and I suppose you'll think I'm nothing but an old fool, but yes, I believe I am."

Hinako blushed even redder and replied, "No one has ever asked me out before. I don't know quite how…" She stopped and then took a deep breath, and answered, "I'd love to go out with you."

Soun sagged in relief as he said, "Thank you, Miss Ninomayi. I'm very out of practice at this."

Hinako blushed and replied, "At least you know what you're doing, even if you're a bit rusty. Please, if we are going on a date, call me Hinako."

He took her hand and said, "Then call me Soun, please, Miss Hinako."

She said firmly, "Just Hinako," as she placed her arm in his.

Ranma perked his ears up as he heard Kasumi call, "Dinner's ready, everyone." Akane smirked as she swatted his shoulder, knocking him into the wall of the dojo. Ranma grinned back at her as they stopped sparring and quickly dashed to the family room. There they joined Nabiki and Mousse, who had already seated themselves around the table. Tofu soon joined them from the kitchen, carrying part of the dinner.

Ranma heard the front door open, and then Ukyo say in a loud exasperated voice, "Listen, sugar, I'm pregnant, not sick. I can walk perfectly well by myself. I'm fine." Then they heard a rumble as Ryoga mumbled something back in response. The two of them entered the family room as Kasumi walked in carrying the remainder of the meal.

As they all seated themselves and Kasumi handed around the bowls of food, Ranma realized that his father-in-law wasn't there. Akane noticed it too and asked, "Where's Daddy?"

"He's not going to be here for dinner. He went out on a date," Tofu answered.

"A date! Who with?" Nabiki asked, trying to figure out how she had managed to overlook something liked that.

"He asked Hinako out in celebration of her finally being cured. She is no longer cursed," Tofu replied, "He said that it was partially his fault that she was cursed, since if he had remained with Happosai, he wouldn't have been there."

"That logic is a bit flawed if I understood what Hinako said. If Happosai hadn't given her the ability to drain battle aura and become strong, she would have died." Ranma said.

"True, but I think he just wanted an excuse to take her out that she could pretend to believe," Kasumi said.

Nabiki watched Ukyo and Ryoga exchange glances. Then Ukyo asked, "Ranchan, where's your mother? I wanted to talk to her about her offer."

Ranma eye's grew cold as he replied, "She's not here right now. After what happened the other day with Kuonji, she went off to find Genma. We've decided that she isn't learning the lesson she was supposed to."

"What offer was that?" Nabiki asked, hating not knowing what was going on.

"Have you told anyone about the letter?" Ukyo asked.

Ranma replied, "No, it wasn't my place to tell."

Ukyo drew a deep breath and then said, "I received a letter from Kuonji today. He has disowned me for my failure to achieve the vengeance that he requested. As of today, I am no longer of clan Kuonji."

A shocked silence filled the room, broken only by a gasp from Akane as she turned to her husband. "That's why, isn't it, Ranma?"

Ranma looked at his wife, and said, "Partly."

"Would someone please tell us what is going on here?" Nabiki asked, her voice raised slightly.

"When Ranma-honey found out about what Kuonji did, he made me an offer," Ukyo replied, "After thinking about it, and talking to Ryo-chan about it, I decided that I would join with clan Saotome."

Nabiki face-faulted as her sister Akane didn't get angry. Instead, Akane visibly glowed with happiness. "That's great, Ukyo!" Akane exclaimed as she hugged Ukyo, "Welcome, sister."

'Sister?' Nabiki thought as Tofu and Kasumi smiled happily.

Ranma relaxed and chuckled. "All right, Ucchan. I'll let Mom know, and she'll get you added to the rolls," he said. He mock-glared at Ryoga and said, "I expect you to take good care of my little sister, Ryoga. If you mistreat her, I'll toss your ass around the town."

Ukyo swatted Ranma on the shoulder and said, "I don't need an overprotective big brother, you know. Since we are the same age, I can't be your **little** sister anyway."

"That means I'm gonna be an Auntie," Akane said with a giggle.

Soun stared at the lovely young woman sitting across the table from him and wondered, not for the first time, if he looked as foolish as he felt. Granted, being only in his early forties, he wasn't quite old enough to be her father; but he was still a decade older than she was. It had also been a long time since he had felt an attraction like this, not since his beloved Kimiko had died. Even when many of the unmarried women and a few of the married ones as well, had dropped by after her death, just to check up on the girls, of course. He realized that he had somehow woken up something that had lain dormant; he had even managed to begin teaching again, something he was sure he had forever lost the desire to do. Now, here he was, on a date with the lovely Hinako, and he was terrified. 'What do we have in common? What on earth was I thinking to have asked her out?' his mind shrieked.

Hinako was bubbling over with excitement. Granted, the man sitting across from her was much older than she was; in fact his older daughter was only eight years younger, but still to be asked out on her first date by someone so handsome. That long, black hair, those sorrow-filled eyes, just made her want to run her hands through his hair and comfort him. But here she was, excited yet nervous; worried that he might think of her as that spoiled young child. She thought, 'Thank all the gods that Ranma figured out how to rid me of that curse. Such a wonderful young man, I truly hope Akane realizes what a treasure she has in him, even if he is a bit rough around the edges still.'

Soun cleared his throat and said, "I just realized that I don't know really know much about you. Even though you've spent some time around my children, we haven't really had much of a chance to talk. You probably don't know much about me, either."

"True, other than the fact that you are the father of three wonderful women, and master of your own school of martial arts, I don't know much," Hinako replied, "And probably all you know about me is that I am a teacher who used to be a chi vampire. I was always brought into a school to take care of the delinquent children in the school with my abilities." Then she smiled prettily and added, "I'm glad that's over with. I always hated that little girl body and how it made me feel. Even though I was still me inside, it was so much harder to stay in focus and concentrate on what I should be doing. I got sidetracked so easily. And never actually getting to wear clothing that fit properly."

"It does sound like you're glad that it's over with," Soun said, hearing some of the pain in her voice. He hesitated and then added, "I feel like in a way that you were cursed because of me. I mean, if I had still been Happosai's disciple, he wouldn't have been wandering and would not have stumbled into your hospital room."

"That may be true, but on the other hand, I wouldn't be here now if he hadn't," Hinako chided gently, "What he did saved my life. I don't think he really realized the side effects of what he did, but he did say that he had intended to cure me once my health had been restored. You can't blame yourself for the fact that he ran afoul of the Amazons."

"I hadn't thought of it that way," Soun admitted, "Well, let me give you the condensed version of my life. You already know that I trained under Happosai, with Ranma's father Genma as his other student. I did that for many years, until finally I couldn't handle how perverted he was becoming. I broke away from him and returned to my family home in Nerima and started my school. My family came from a long line of Samurai warriors, and is extremely traditional. Once I returned, I married. Even though it was an arranged marriage, Kimiko and I eventually didn't care. I have to admit, that at first, we argued quite a bit for a little while, but we quickly fell in love. We soon had three lovely daughters and our life was wonderful. And then, the darkness came, and our love became bittersweet as we realized how soon she would be taken away from us." He paused, his voice filled with emotion.

"How long has she been gone?" Hinako asked gently.

"Akane was almost seven when her mother died," Soun replied, a little melancholy.

Hinako reached over and grasped his hand, and said, "The girls turned out wonderfully, Soun. You did a good job with them."

"That was more Kasumi's doing than mine; she stepped in and became the parent for the other two. I'm glad she found Tofu. He has been good for her. And she has finally gotten back to school. I have Ranma to thank for that. Those two men, and make no mistake about it, Ranma is a man in spite of his youth, have done more for my family than I have," Soun replied. Then he grimaced and said, "Well, enough about my life. What would you like to tell me about you? How did you decide to become a teacher?"

Hinako blushed and replied, "Well, at first my life didn't change much. My parents were so happy that I was better, no one realized that there was something odd about the way I was aging. We just thought I looked young for my age. Then, when I was in my mid teens, for some reason, that I can't recall any more, I had to use the Happo Go-en Satsu attack, and suddenly I transformed. It was very embarrassing, as you might imagine. I was suddenly a foot taller; I had a young woman's body where before I had no assets." Soun suddenly choked and then his face flushed. She asked in concern, "What happened?"

"Sorry," he gasped, "I like my sushi a little spicy, but I think I might have gotten a bit too much wasabi on that bite." He quickly gulped some water to hide his embarrassment.

"Anyway, the little girl body was slowly aging, but my parents decided that it would be best if I was privately taught. I had a wonderful tutor, and she installed a love for education and a desire for teaching in me. Once I graduated from high school, I went to college and got my degree in education. And there my curse reared its ugly head again. I was laughed at when I went to my first school. I used my chi techniques and instead of laughing, I was feared. It was a very lonely time, as I moved from school to school, bringing discipline to the students by causing them to fear me," Hinako said, "Then I ended up at Furinkan, and you know the rest."

"You don't have to be lonely now, Hinako. You are always welcome in our house," Soun said, "I know that Ranma and Akane are both fond of you, and if it isn't too presumptuous of me, I am attracted to you."

Hinako blushed prettily, and replied, "Thank you. I like both of those two as well. They make a good couple." She hesitated and then said, "I don't think it is presumptuous of you, either. I would like to get to know you better."

Soun and Hinako made their way back to her apartment after finishing their dinner. She had daringly taken his large hand in her smaller hand and was holding it tightly. As they reached the front door, she reached up and kissed him on the cheek and said, "I'd like to do this again. I had a good time, and now that we know each other a bit better, maybe we won't feel quite so awkward."

"Thank you, Hinako. I had a good time as well. I'm sorry most of the conversation was a bit gloomy, but I think you're right. Now that we've gotten that out of our system, the next time we go out we can concentrate on having a good time," Soun replied.

She smiled briefly and then said, "The school is having a dance next weekend. Would you like to go as my date and help chaperone?"

"I'd like that, though I may need some help with the dancing. I'm sure I've forgotten how," Soun said.

"Well, then maybe we should get together before then and you can practice some of your moves," she said, her eyes innocent.

Soun smiled and replied, "That might be fun as well." He bowed her into her apartment and asked, "Tomorrow, perhaps?"

"I'd like that," she replied, her eyes dancing, "Until tomorrow, then." She shut the door, and leaned against it, her heart racing.

Soun gazed at the wooden door, and smiled. He turned and left, with a spring in his step that had not been there for almost a decade.

As they filed into the Council Chamber at Joketsuzoku, the Elders were all stone-faced. #Who calls this meeting of the council?# the eldest Matriarch, Lo Xian, demanded.

#I, Khu Lon of the Joketsuzoku, call upon the council to ratify the marriage of the warrior Xian Pu to the outsider male Ah Sum Taro,# Khu Lon intoned formally.

Par Fum sneered and asked, #So the weakling lost to another outsider.#

Khu Lon looked cooly at her closest rival on the council and bemoaned the fact that her once oldest and best friend had changed so much. #Yes, my great granddaughter was defeated in combat by this male. However, he is much more than he seems,# Khu Lon replied evenly, #He has won her heart and she has won his. Both of them are willing and eager to be wed.#

#What happened to my grandson Msu Tse?# Par Fum asked, #He went with you to win back her love.#

#He never had her love, you know that,# Khu Lon said coldly, #Besides he has found another.#

#That is beside the point, both of you. Take your rivalry elsewhere,# snapped Lo Xian, #We are here to decide what is best for Xian Pu. Bring them in here so that we may question them!#

Xian Pu and Taro were escorted into the chamber. Xian Pu paled while Taro bowed formally to the Elders.

#Girl, did you lose in honorable combat to this male?# Lo Xian demanded.

Xian Pu replied, #Yes, Matriarch. I attacked him and he knocked me out with one blow. He then took me with him when he left the field of battle.#

#Have you done your duty to salvage your honor?# Par Fum asked, snidely.

Eyes flashing with pride, Xian Pu responded, #Once I awoke, I gave him the kiss of marriage. Then, as a good wife should, I bound his wounds that he had received in the battle.#

#If we allow this marriage to stand, what will you do?# Lo Xian asked.

#I wish to return to the land of the Rising Sun, there to complete my education. I have several warrior friends who will help me to become a stronger warrior, yet I must know more than just the art of fighting to be the person the tribe needs me to be. My husband also wishes to further his schooling,# Xian Pu replied evenly.

#A worthy goal. You, Male, do you consider yourself worthy of this warrior?# Lo Xian asked.

Taro smiled and replied, #What male is ever worthy of the woman he weds? I feel honored that she has chosen me. All I can do is strive to be worthy.#

The elder cackled and replied, #I see you know our ways, young man. If only I were a few hundred years younger, I might be interested in you myself.#

Taro's eyes widened in alarm as the elder cackled again. She glanced around the chamber and asked, #Are we agreed, then?#

The remaining elders nodded with the exception of Par Fum, who turned her back. The Matriarch sighed in vexation but then said, #So be it. The Council has approved your request. Elder Khu Lon, I charge you with these two as they return to Japan. Have the wedding feast as soon as possible.#

Author's notes: Again, thanks for all of the reviews. Sorry it has taken so long for these last few chapters, but as you can tell from my posting of the other story, that one has been easier to write. I have several more ideas planned for this fiction, though so don't worry, this one will continue, so long as I can keep the quality up. Specific comments are posted below.

Numbskull: Yeah, Ranma's matured a lot even in this story from where he began. Of course he started out a bit more mature than the manga/anima Ranma. But I wanted all of the characters to show some growth. I think I've done that.

Lord Strife: Do you hear the sound of ominous music in the background. Nodoka is hunting for Genma and she's not happy. We'll find out what happens in later chapters.

Dana-san: Yeah, I liked having a Ukyo with a spine. She started out that way in the canon, and then turned a bit mushy just because Ranma said she was cute. I think if the girl I loved came to me with problems she was having with her boyfriend, I doubt I would have sat there and listened, much less helped. Genma has some major problems coming her way as well. I hadn't thought about the valise. Thanks for the suggestion, now I wonder what I can do with it. VBG. As far as Hinako is concerned, this chapter is where I was heading all along with her. I hope you approve.

BlazeStryker: Yep, Nodoka is hunting for her right now, and I'm thinking that next chapter Nabiki is going to get in on the act as well. Nobody hurts her family and gets away with it after all.

Taxzombie: Thanks, yeah Genma gets some trashing. Sorry, I just don't like the guy and I guess it shows. As far as problems are concerned, don't worry, there will be some. Ryoga and Ukyo are teenaged newlyweds with a child on the way, for instance. I hope Ranma and Akane pay attention.

Daouid: I agree and of course this chapter continues that part of the saga.

TheCentauress: Yep, big time spanking. She's been a baaaad girl.

Dennisud: My feelings exactly.

Myuu-foxygirl: Thanks for the kind words. I don't know when this will end. But I have several places to go with it. 100 chapters, uh I don't know. Obviously I want the quality of the story to stay, if not get better. This after all started out as my second story, and I think my style has improved with each story that I've written, and I know the later chapters of this one have gotten better.


	47. A Wedding at Joketsuzoku

Chapter 47 A Wedding at Joketsuzoku

Author's Note: Warning-this chapter has a bit of a lime scene in it

#Listen closely, Son-in-law,# the Elder said, coldly to Taro, #Hurry up and change!# She handed him a folded robe made out of a white linen cloth. After unfolding the robe, Taro recognized it as an ancient Greek chiton, with buttons fastening the open shoulders at the top. Khu Lon watched dispassionately as Taro stripped down to his boxers and pulled the robe on over his head. The robe fell down to slightly more than mid-thigh. She handed him a soft belt that he wrapped around his waist and then tied tightly. She grimaced as she fixed the drape of the material, and snapped, #Well, that will have to do.#

#What gives, Khu Lon? Why the rush?# Taro asked.

Khu Lon smiled grimly and replied, #The sooner you and Xian Pu are married, the better. Par Fum is planning something, but once the two of you are married, she is stymied. That was the message the Matriarch gave me in those parting words.#

#So what does it take for us to be married according to your laws, great-grandmother-to-be,# Taro asked.

#We are a simple people, with a rich tradition. However, all it really takes is for a wedding feast to begin, and the meat and wine to be shared by the bride and groom,# Khu Lon said, #Now hurry! Enough talking. Xian Pu will show you what needs to be done.#

'Great, I get caught up in an ancient Amazon cat fight,' Taro thought, in disgust, 'I wonder if she's worth it.' Then he remembered how Xian Pu had taken care of him, and the fun they had had on the way to the village. The many times they had kissed during the two nights in Shanghai while they were waiting for the rest of the Amazon party to arrive from Japan and meet them. Those two nights had been filled with both pleasure and sheer torture. He chuckled lightly to himself as he recalled the look of disbelief that Xian Pu had given him the first night she had tried to sleep with him. It had taken all of his considerable willpower to turn her down, especially since all she was wearing was a cute pout on her face. But his sense of honor wouldn't allow him to do that until they were married. He grinned widely as he realized he had answered his own question. 'Hell yeah, she's worth it!' he thought as he followed the Elder out of the small cottage he had temporarily been given and walked over to a long table loaded with various foodstuff. Xian Pu met him at the center two chairs. He barely avoided a snicker at what the Amazons considered appropriate bridal attire, but then remembering their alleged history, he was able to suppress it.

Xian Pu looked slightly uncomfortable, even as accustomed as she was to somewhat immodest clothing. What she was wearing was definitely less than what she was generally used to wearing. Besides, the leather bustiér was chafing her most prominent set of assets, showing them off to their fullest extent while preserving the barest modicum of decency. The short leather skirt, the leather bracers on each arm, and the leather sandals, with lacing nearly to mid-calf, left little to the imagination as well. With her hair tied back, and a small circlet of gold on her hair; the only thing that made her feel comfortable about the situation was the steel short sword, the razor sharp belt knife and the metal hoop she had laced to her belt.

Taro said in an aside, #Well, at least you look good in that getup. This thing I'm wearing is absurd.# Xian Pu hid a brief smile and then the two of them sat down quickly. They waited politely for the rest of the guests to be seated and then Xian Pu picked up her silver goblet and held it to Taro's lips.

She hissed, "Drink!" Taro took a polite sip of the bitter red wine and then picked up his goblet and after catching her nod, held it to her lips. She drank heavily, allowing the vintage to pour out of either side of her mouth and down to the table below. "Don't worry, it's just tradition," she said in quiet aside to Taro's shocked expression.

Xian Pu then looked at the meat on his plate and Taro took the hint. Using his belt knife, he cut a large piece of the meat off and held it up to her mouth. Her eyes dancing, she took a large bit and began chewing. She reached for her knife and held up a large piece of the meat from her plate. Taro bit off a chunk of the meat and the two of them slowly chewed. Finally, to Khu Lon's relief, they swallowed the two bites.

Xian Pu then turned to Taro and said, #Now, I have fed my husband according to the ancient rites of my people.#

Taro replied, #And I have fed my wife.# Xian Pu flashed a brief smile as he had followed her lead correctly.

Khu Lon said, in loud, ringing tones, #We have witnessed the sharing of the meat and the sharing of the wine. According to our ancient and holy traditions, Xian Pu and Ah Sum Taro are wed.#

Under the cover of the noisy intruments blaring something that might be considered music by an alien culture with no sense of the normal tonic scales, Taro whispered sardonically, "Okay, am I supposed to carry you off over my shoulder, kicking and screaming, or what?"

Xian Pu giggled and replied, "This is an Amazon village. I'm supposed to carry you off. Screaming is optional."

Taro cracked a smile and replied, "Good luck, wife of mine. I hope you're plenty strong."

She flashed him a happy smile and said, "I am the village Champion, dear husband!"

Taro snorted half the gulp of wine he had just finished taking through his nose. After recovering his composure, and ignoring the burning sensation, he reached around and goosed his wife.

Xian Pu blushed, and asked, #Is Airen in a hurry to fulfill duty to wife? I'm not quite ready. I want my Airen to have plenty of staying power for our first time. Then maybe he might hear screaming.#

Taro gave his bride an appraising look and then shook his head. "You're going to take some getting used to, Shampoo."

She smiled at him mysteriously and whispered, #Who says I want you to get used to me, husband? A good wife always keeps her husband guessing.#

Then the two newlyweds felt a sudden chill from behind them. They turned to see the Amazon Elder Par Fum icily looking at both of them. Khu Lon turned and said, #It is too late for you to interfere, Par Fum. We have witnessed them sharing the meat and wine. I'm sorry you missed it.#

#I'm sure you are, my old friend,# Par Fum said coldly, #Apparently my invitation got misplaced or I would have made sure that I was here for this joyous occasion. It's not everyday a warrior as weak as your great granddaughter gets married to a warrior like this.#

Xian Pu half-rose from her chair, only to stop as Taro grabbed her. At the same time, Khu Lon hissed, "No child, do not take her bait."

Taro glared at the Amazon Elder, with a look that promised great pain if the old woman continued that line of talk. Then he turned to Khu Lon and asked, #Elder, I am unfamiliar with all of your laws. What does it say about this kind of challenge? What would be the appropriate response for this kind of insult?#

#Actually, son-in-law, neither our tradition nor our laws have addressed this type of behavior. I think she must be going senile. She is, after all, getting on in years. Her manners used to be much better when she was younger,# Khu Lon replied. She smiled sweetly at Par Fum.

#Well, I'm sure allowances must be made for that,# Taro said in agreement.

Par Fum bristled and said, in annoyance, #Watch it boy! You really don't want me for an enemy.#

Taro shrugged his shoulders and replied, #I've always been told that one measure of a man is the quality of his enemies. Don't insult my wife, or me and we won't have any trouble. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think my wife and I will go spend some quality time together.# He turned to Xian Pu and said, #I think it's time we found our room for the evening.# He stood and followed Xian Pu as she left the table heading for the cabin she was staying in.

Ah Sum waited impatiently, laying on the bed in the candle-lit cabin. They had shared a couple of deep passionate kisses as they entered the cabin, but Xian Pu had smilingly eluded his grasp and fled into the bathing room. Finally, he was rewarded by his new wife, as she walked back into the bedroom, her face glowing slightly, wearing a very sheer negligee. As he took in her beauty, he was painfully aware of the impact she was having on him. The swell of her breasts, covered by the sheer material, ending in the dark aureola around her nipples, the trim stomach, tiny waist and then swooping down to the tight, lavender curls. Ah Sum smiled quickly and then said, huskily, "I had always wondered if that hair color was natural."

Xian Pu giggled as she saw the effect her body was having on the nude man laying on the bed. Then she joined him, as he pulled her into his embrace and they kissed, their tongues caressing. She gasped as he slid one hand over her left breast and began caressing the nipple, gently toying with it as it became erect. With his other hand, he began tracing gentle circular patterns on her proud buttocks, sending chills running up and down her spine. Xian Pu gasped as she began to feel excited, as a feeling of warmth began to spread from her most private areas. He slowly moved his hand up and began to slide the sheer material off of one shoulder, as he bent down and began to kiss her neck and then on down to her shoulder. She reluctantly pulled herself away, and then with one motion, languorously pulled the negligee off over her head, allowing him an unabated view of her charms. Taro rolled over and blew out the candles, and then…

Taro was awakened abruptly from a dreamless sleep by the sound of someone steathily entering the main room of the cabin. He gently shook his wife awake and whispered, "Get your sword and some water. I think we have company."

Shampoo's eyes narrowed as she heard the same noise, and then heard someone attempt to open the locked door to the bedroom. She rolled quickly out of bed and ran to the bathing chamber. As she returned, with her sword, and a glass of water, the door to their bedroom burst open and several Amazon women rushed in, led by the Elder Perfume. Shampoo threw the water at Taro, triggering his transformation. The Amazons fell back in dismay, as they saw facing them not the sleeping couple that they had expected to see, but instead a winged minotaur, angrily swishing its tail, and a nude but furious Amazon warrior, with a razor sharp sword in one hand, her belt knife in another and a towel wrapped around her arm for protection. Perfume barked a command and several of the warriors began to charge Taro, only to fall back in disarray as with one swipe of his razor sharp claws, he severed the heads of the poleaxes they were carrying.

The disarmed spearwomen fell back, discarding their useless poles, and allowed the two carrying maces to advance while they drew their short swords. Taking care to stay out of Taro's way, Shampoo moved up to protect his flank from the women. One of them swung her mace at Shampoo, only to sink to the floor with Shampoo's knife buried up to the hilt in her stomach. The second macewoman was flung crashing to the wall by one swipe of Taro's paw, where she slid down limply to the floor.

Par Fum began to chant an incantation in an ancient language that had vanished from the face of the earth around the time of the vast migration that had occurred after the fall of Troy. Taro smiled evilly, showing massive teeth and using his tentacles, shot a steady stream of octupus ink that blinded several of the swordwomen, as well as filling the mouth of the chanting Amazon Elder. Sputtering, the Elder fell back, and tried to wipe the ink from her mouth and face. The few warriors that were left to fight began to back up out of the room, allowing Taro to move forward and block the doorway, using his vast body to push the blinded warriors into the walls of the room and knocking them out.

Xian Pu rushed forward and ripped their belts off and tied their hands together. She then pulled the knife out of the wounded belly of the warrior that had first attacked her, and stanched the flow of blood with a piece of cloth ripped from the warriors clothing. She pulled the warrior's hands forward and pressed them against the wound, and hissed, #Keep pressure there if you want to live!#

As she approached the last warrior remaining in the room, that warrior sprang up and swung her sword at Taro, attempting to hit him in a blind spot. Xian Pu dived forward and interposed her sword, blocking the blow. The two warriors began trading strikes, until finally, the warrior managed to hit Xian Pu a glancing blow in her side. Xian Pu flung her knife, sinking it deep into the warrior's right arm, and then sank to the floor. Taro saw his wife collapse, and with a roar of outrage, swung his hindclaw and nearly disemboweled the warrior.

At that moment, the cottage was flooded with warriors as a squad rushed into the main room, led by a furiously cursing Khu Lon. Quickly the remaining attackers were restrained, with Khu Lon herself striking Par Fum with her cane, knocking her out. Taro backed out of the doorway and stood crouching protectively over the body of his wife, swishing his tail angrily, growling just a bit. Khu Lon made her way to the body of her great granddaughter and gasped at the damage she saw. She snapped several orders and began bandaging the wound. Xian Pu stirred weakly and said, "Get Taro some hot water, great grandmother." A warrior approached warily and doused Taro with hot water, who promptly dove for his clothing. The few warriors who weren't busily frog-marching the defeated out of the cottage grinned in appreciation at the sight that was there in front of them, and then sighed as it quickly vanished as Taro shrugged his pants and shirt on.

The dumpy, middle-aged woman, with dishwater blond hair, slumped dispiritedly on the bed in the run-down hotel room on the island of Okinawa she had checked into a few days before. She stared around the room, silently cursing her fate, as she contemplated the ruin that her life had become. As she sat there, she saw herself in the flyspecked mirror over the battered dresser that she had thrown her few belongings into. 'How could that ungrateful boy do this to me? How could Nodoka do this?' the woman thought. Then to her everlasting shame, she felt the tears begin to stream from her eyes. "This damn, weak woman's body!" she growled to herself, "I'm supposed to be a man, dammit! Men don't cry." 'But you're not a man anymore,' came a betraying thought from somewhere buried in the dim recesses of her brain, 'Not since Nerima. Your family took care of that. They'll never give me the Phoenix Pill so I can change back.' Shuddering, she walked over to the dresser where there was a half-full bottle of sakeî Grabbing the bottle, she knocked back a large swallow. Then she carried the bottle back to the bed, and collapsed upon it. After several minutes of serious drinking, interspersed with bouts of crying, the level in the bottle was terribly depleted. The woman woozily set the bottle down on the table next to the bed and then fell drunkenly back upon her pillow, as she slipped into a stupor.

As the light from the morning sun began to stream through the window of the hotel room, the figure on the bed started thrashing in her sleep. "No, don't Nodoka, please," she said in her sleep. Suddenly, she bolted upright, her unseeing eyes wide in terror, as she awoke from her nightmare. She grabbed her head with both hands as she felt the well-earned hangover begin to pound like a jackhammer in her skull.

The woman froze as she heard a maliciously sweet voice say, "You never could handle a hangover, Genma. Don't you know that drinking is hazardous to your health?"

Genma turned her head to one side and saw her former wife sitting comfortably in the single chair that the room had been provided.

Author's Notes: Thanks for all of the reviews. As always constructive comments are welcomed and encouraged.


	48. A Decision in Okinawa

Chapter 48 A Decision in Okinawa

Genma stared in shock at the woman that she once thought she would spend the twilight years of her life with, watching the grandchildren that Nodoka wanted so desperately. "What are you doing here," she snarled.

"I came to find out why you are still trying to ruin Ranma's life," she replied, coolly.

"You can look at me and ask me that?" Genma said in shock.

Nodoka grimaced and replied, "I'm the one who gave you this curse. Ranma really didn't want to have anything to do with it. I had to really push him to get him to even agree to use the Cat's Tongue. All he wanted to do was take over the school, and would have been content with that. If you really need to seek vengeance, you should have gone after me. I was the one that believed you needed to be punished for all of the horrible things that you had done in the name of training our son."

Genma hung her head and replied, "In that case, I have wronged him. But Nodoka, I was only training him the way I was taught. I had to make him the best martial artist that there was in order to redeem myself in my own eyes. I had been a good martial artist until I fell afoul of Master Happosai. I couldn't break myself completely free from the perverted things that he had taught Soun and myself, but at least I was able to not use those techniques with Ranma. Of course, I didn't want him to get too dependent on women, that would make him weak."

Nodoka's eyes grew colder if that was possible, and snapped, "I was hoping that you would get over your macho bullshit and realize that women have more uses then just being a baby factory and keeping up a home. Instead, you seem to have gone out of your way to send more trouble. Did you even think about what would happen to Ukyo if her father found out the truth about Ranma? What about Akane, when you sent that Kaori girl his way? For that matter, what about Kaori herself? Or have you done nothing but feel sorry for yourself?"

Genma growled, "The Kuonji girl deserves anything that happens to her. I haven't forgotten that she had a hand in giving me this cursed body. And Ranma took the school away from me, I can't forgive that!"

"You didn't deserve to be the master of the school, Genma, after everything that you had done to him," Nodoka retorted.

Genma grimaced as Ukyo walked into the room from the outside hallway, carrying a tray. "Here's the tea that you wanted, Mom," she said as she set the tray down on the table next to Nodoka. Ukyo scowled in anger as she realized that Genma was awake, though she felt grateful to see that the older woman was plainly suffering from a nasty hangover. "So, 'Father', how have you been?" she snarled.

"Mom, Father, what do you mean by that?" Genma asked, extremely confused.

"Isn't it obvious, baka," Ukyo replied, sneeringly, "After your nice visit with Kuonji, he decided that he no longer had a child, since I hadn't killed you and Ranma, or married Ranma. Mom offered to take me as her child, well, actually, Ranma offered in her name, and she agreed. Anyway, I accepted, since I missed having a mother, and I have come to think of her as that. I need to thank you appropriately for what you did, for letting Kuonji know the truth about Ranma and myself." Quicker than Genma could dodge, she was flattened to the wall by multiple, well-placed blows from the formidable battle spatula that Nodoka could have sworn was slung over her new daughter's shoulder.

"Daughter!" Nodoka exclaimed, "Remember what you promised after I called to let you know that I had found the fool!"

Ukyo blushed prettily and replied, "Sorry, Mom. I remember, don't worry. I didn't kill her. That is for you to do. I just knocked her out. I know I'm just here to help you administer suitable encouragement for her to change her behavior."

"That's not why I'm upset, dear," Nodoka said, calmly, "It's just that now we'll have to wait for her to wake up again."

"Just pour youself some tea, Mom," Ukyo said with a grin, "I'll wake up Genma, or maybe we should call her Genko. She doesn't look much like a mysterious horse now does she?" She walked into the bathroom while Nodoka broke down laughing. Ukyo shortly came back with a large glass of water. After she tied Genma to the bedpost, she poured the water over the unconscious Genma, waking her back up.

Genma woke up, her bleary eyes widening as she saw the evilly grinning figure of Ukyo standing over her. Her head pounding from her hangover, (as well as several of the blows from Ukyo's spatula), she winced in pain as she tried to move. "Sorry, sugar," Ukyo said, softly, "We need to talk and I didn't want to have to chase you down again. Why did you try to ruin my life again? Wasn't once enough?"

"That wasn't my fault!" Genma protested weakly, "I was trying to get back at Ranma for taking the school away from me! It's his fault. If he had been more respectful to me, none of this would have happened."

"Wrong answer," Ukyo growled as she whacked her with the spatula again.

Nodoka scowled angrily, and replied, "So I see that you have learned nothing, and only seek to blame others for your own actions. Are you incapable of taking responsibility for what you do?"

"But, No-chan," Genma protested. WHACK!

"Sorry, Mom," Ukyo said, insincerely.

Genma mumbled, "That's beginning to hurt you know."

"I was perfectly willing to let things go, Genma. I had gotten my revenge when Mom changed your curse. The man I knew as Genma Saotome was no more, and that satisfied my family honor," Ukyo said. Then hefting her spatula and hitting Genma with each word, she continued, "But you weren't satisfied with ruining my life once. You had to try and hurt me and my family again. My husband is furious with you."

"That's enough, Ukyo," Nodoka said, "I think Genma got the message." She sighed and said, "I had hoped that you would have changed. I was giving you a chance to grow, and you refused to take it. Well, no matter. This ends today. I can't allow you to continue to hurt my family."

"W-what are you going to do?" Genma stammered, as she tried to crawl up the wall away from Nodoka, straining at the ropes that kept her in place.

"That's basically up to you," Nodoka said, "We have several options. One, you commit ritual seppuku with me as your second. Two, Ukyo can kill you like the dog you are right here." Ukyo chuckled evilly at that choice.

"Those are my only choices?" the other woman gasped.

Nodoka smiled coldly, and replied, "Well, there is one other possibility, but you won't like it much. I have the power to turn you back into a child, without your adult memories." 'Thank you Shampoo for that knowledge,' Nodoka thought, 'I hope your wedding went well, daughter in all but name.'

"Can I think about it for a moment?" Genma asked, trying to look dignified.

"Certainly," Nodoka said, "We can allow a minute or two. But whatever you decide, Genma Saotome dies today."

Genma reached for the bottle of sakeàand drained it. After staring at the empty bottle for a long time, she bowed her head and said, "I'm afraid to die, Nodoka. I don't have that kind of courage." Nodoka looked on in surprise as the woman began to weep. After several minutes, Genma raised her tear-streaked face and said, "I don't want to be like this anymore, Nodoka. I know I've made many mistakes in the past, and I'm tired of who I was. I'll accept your third option, but only if you are willing to raise me as your child. I robbed you of the chance to raise our son. Maybe this way, I will be a better person, since I won't have been corrupted by my old master. I once was a good person until I met him, and he seduced me with his techniques. Please, help me to be a better person. I don't know if I really deserve a second chance to redeem myself, but if you're willing to give me one, I would be a fool to turn it down."

"Very well, I'll accept that condition," Nodoka replied after a moment of thought. She smiled a truly warm smile for the first time that night and then placed a small mushroom on a plate and set it on the bed. "Go ahead," she said, "Eat this." Ukyo untied one hand to allow the woman to get the mushroom.

Genma reached out shakily and picked up the mushroom. She hesitated for a moment, until Nodoka began to draw her katana blade and Ukyo held her spatula at the ready. Closing her eyes, she popped the mushroom into her mouth, chewed for a second and then swallowed it. As she did so, she passed out. Nodoka gazed at the body of the woman as it rapidly shrank into a young girl around five or six, sliding out of the bonds that held her to the bed. Nodoka quickly took the girl into the bathroom, and undressed her. Putting her head over the sink, she began shampooing the girl's hair, using a bottle labeled Formula 110, and massaging the shampoo into the hair, making sure she got certain spots on the scalp. After a few minutes, Nodoka smiled in satisfaction and rinsed out the shampoo. After dressing the young girl in a bathrobe, she began toweling the child's hair. Once it was reasonably dry, she carried the girl into the bedroom and laid her out on the bed, saying, "Sleep tight, daughter."

Ukyo looked on in concern and asked, "How much will she remember?"

Nodoka looked unsure and replied, "Shampoo wasn't real clear on everything, Ukyo. It sounded like the Xi Fa Xiang Gao is similar to amnesia in that the memories are suppressed rather than erased. I hope that raising her to be a better person will allow Genma to be strong enough to handle those memories when and if they begin to resurface. Genma was correct in one thing. The man I married was badly damaged by Happosai; I just hadn't realized how much. The last training trip he took with that ancient pervert really changed him for the worse, and I just didn't see it. I must have been blinded by the love I had for him." She stared into the distance and then continued, "I did love him then, and I guess I still do in a way. I truly hoped that I wouldn't have to kill him. He was a good man when I first met him. Hopefully, she can become a good person again."

"Just don't try to raise her as a woman among women, Mom," Ukyo quipped. Then she sobered and asked, "What are you going to tell Ranma?"

Nodoka winced and replied, "The truth. I know he was expecting me to kill her when I called. He even absolved me of the promise not to kill her that he had made me give him before. And I guess in a way, I have killed his father. No matter what happens now, this person won't be like Genma Saotome."

Taro watched as Khu Lon examined the wound in his wife's side, his hands clenched tightly, his face an angry mask. Khu Lon, grim-faced, carefully washed the wound and then relaxed as she realized that while the sword had made a long cut in her side, the blade had turned such that the wound was mostly shallow. Pulling a poultice out of her bag, she laved the wound with an astringent solution, causing the blood vessels to contract and stopping the flow of blood. Quickly cleaning the wound again, she pulled a surgical needle out and began stitching up the cut, with many, tiny and neat stitches. Once she was done, she looked at Taro and smiled reassuringly at him. Of course, a reassuring smile from the Elder was frightening in itself. She said, "Shampoo lost some blood, and she'll possibly end up with a bit of a scar, but other than that, she'll be all right. She just needs to rest now, and regain her strength. When she wakes up, she'll need to eat, so make sure she does that. She won't want to stay in bed, either, so you'll have to make her do that as well."

Taro relaxed for a second, and then carefully picked up his wife from the floor and carried her over to the bed. After placing the covers over her, he bent down and kissed her, tears threatening to fall from his face. He murmured, "Don't scare me like that again, Shampoo. I thought I almost lost you." Then he turned to the Elder and asked, coldly, #Where IS she?#

#Stay with your wife, Ah Sum,# Khu Lon said, kindly, #We'll take care of Par Fum. You don't need to be involved!#

Taro looked icily at the Amazon Elder and replied, in a voice frigid enough to freeze nitrogen, #What do you mean, I don't need to get involved? I was involved the moment they broke into our room and tried to kill us. I just need to tell her how bad a mistake she just made, is all. I will be content to allow your justice to take care of her after that.#

Khu Lon gazed deeply into his eyes and then nodded abruptly at what she saw there. #All right, son-in-law, I'll take you to her. While we're gone, some of the warriors will move Xian Pu into another cabin and out of this slaughterhouse. Then, you take care of my great granddaughter until the trial,# she said.

Taro bowed deeply in respect to the Elder, who widened her eyes in surprise. Then he said, simply, #Thank you Khu Lon.# He followed her out of the cabin, as she pogo-sticked her way to a guarded building. She opened the door and hopped in, closely followed by the silently raging Taro.

#Well, Par Fum, what exactly did you think you were doing?# Khu Lon asked, coldly.

#Fulfilling a promise that I once made,# Par Fum growled, #I swore that if Msu Tse didn't marry Xian Pu, than no one would have her. I was only trying to kill the male, but she was unlucky enough to get in the way.#

Growling, Taro nudged Khu Lon out of the way, and advanced on the bitter old woman who had attempted to kill him. His eyes red with anger and his battle aura showing, he grabbed Par Fum by the neck with one hand and dangled her above the floor. #You should have listened to me, old ghoul. Now hear me out, and understand! You were very lucky that you didn't get Xian Pu killed. If she had died, then as long as there is an Amazon alive, they would have remembered with horror the vengeance that I would have taken on you and yours! The story of your passing would have resonated down the halls of history forever as an example and warning!#

#Feh, if it weren't for your Jusenkyo curse, you would be nothing!# spat the Elder, wheezing to catch a breath through the tight grip the young man had around her neck.

#You just go on thinking that, you old bat,# Taro snarled as he threw her crashing against the wall. He looked around and then asked, #Is there some water or something? I need to clean some filth off of my hands.#

A guard wordlessly handed him a wet cloth and he ostentatiously wiped his hands clean on it. #Elder, I leave her in your capable hands,# he said, regaining his calm, #If you would have someone escort me to my wife, I would appreciate it.#

Khu Lon looked at him in satisfaction, thinking, 'Xian Pu picked a good male. And it is obvious that he has come to care for her.' She nodded and said, #Xian Pu is in the cabin that you were first given. Go there now, and I'll come for you when we have the trial. I promise that you will be happy with our justice.# Taro bowed again, deeply, and then walked out the door to find his wife.

#You are a fool, Par Fum. Why would you risk your status as an Elder in such an idiotic manner? Over a mere man, at that. We were friends once, and because of that, I feel sorry for you,# Khu Lon said to the other Elder.

Par Fum looked away for a moment and then replied, #You were gaining too much power, my old friend. My faction couldn't risk you gaining such a strong son-in-law for Xian Pu. When she went off after that fat fool, we thought our plans would be safe. Or if Msu Tse had managed to win her heart. But when Xian Pu came back with such a prize, then we had to take action. If only you hadn't rushed the marriage, perhaps things might have gone differently.#

#So it was all about politics,# Khu Lon said sadly, #You tried to kill two people tonight, and lost one of your own, just because you were afraid that I might become Matriarch. All this was for nothing. All I ever wanted was for Xian Pu to grow into the woman I believed she could be and find a mate she could be happy with. That's why I allowed her to go to Japan. Here she would have been stifled by all of our traditions. She needed to see beyond the boundaries of our village. And I was right. She did change during her time there. Xian Pu will grow up to be a fine Elder, and I think, an excellent candidate for Matriarch.#

#You were doing this for her? You don't want the title?# Par Fum gasped.

Cologne chuckled drily, and replied, #Why on earth would I want the job? There are entirely too many restrictions on what I could do if I were Matriarch. And I don't know that Xian Pu will want it either. I just wanted her to have the ability to do it if she was chosen.#

Par Fum turned away in shame and sagged to the floor. #Leave me to my shame,# she asked. Khu Lon gazed at her for several minutes, and then shook her head sadly. She hopped out of the room, allowing the guards to close the door behind her.

Another beautiful morning in Nerima found the residents of the Tendo home gathering for breakfast. Ranma and Akane ran in from the furoba where they had just finished cleaning up from their regular training session in the dojo, while Nabiki stumbled into the family room from her bedroom, searching for her first fix of caffeine. Kasumi brought in the meal and then sat down next to her husband.

Tofu looked amused as he watched Nabiki stumbling around, sleepier than usual. "What's the matter, Nabiki? You look exhausted."

Nabiki blearily looked around and then gratefully grabbed the cup of coffee that Ranma had just poured for her. After draining the cup, she snapped, "Well, if someone wasn't so loud last night, I would have gotten more sleep."

The other two couples blushed bright red as they each remembered their late night activities.

Kasumi said, innocently, "Nabiki, why was Mousse leaving your window so late last night? Tell him thank you. He was very considerate and didn't make any noise."

Nabiki turned quickly and stared at Kasumi, a blush slowly appearing on her face. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kasumi. We were just talking," she protested.

Kasumi drawled, "R-r-right, Nabiki. Go ahead and pull the other leg while you're at it."

"Honest, Kasumi! I swear it. Well, maybe some kissing went on, but nothing else," Nabiki said, losing her customary cool at the skepticism in her sisters' eyes.

Akane giggled and then teased, "Oh my, Nabiki! What would Daddy say? You're not married! It's just not proper."

Nabiki glared at her sister and retorted, "Says the girl who shared her fianc's bed for weeks before they got married. And I know that Kasumi was sneaking off to see Tofu after every one went to sleep as well." Kasumi suddenly looked very interested in the dishes in front of her. The two men were dumbstruck at the antics of the women. Fortunately for Ranma, or else he would have said something foolish, while Tofu was too wise to get in the middle of that battle, though, both of them were looking studiously at the floor, fascinated by the pattern in the wood flooring. A silent observer would have noticed matching blushes on both of their faces, as well as large beads of sweat pooling at their temples.

Akane blushed furiously, and then said, "Seriously Sis, what would Daddy say?" Then she stopped as she suddenly realized what had been bothering her since she had sat down for breakfast. Her father wasn't in his usual spot, reading his newspaper. "Where is Daddy, anyway?" Akane asked.

Kasumi blushed, and stammered, "Uh, well, uh, he didn't come home last night."

Ranma, Akane and Nabiki turned and stared at Kasumi in astonishment.

"Daddy?" Akane said in shock.

"What do you mean, he didn't come home?" Nabiki blurted.

"He went out with Hinako. He said that they were going out to eat, and then to see a play. That was the last I saw him, and when I went to wake him up this morning, his bed hadn't been slept in," Kasumi replied, her face still tinged with pink.

"What could have happened to him?" Akane wondered, "We need to go look for him."

Then they heard the sound of the front door open and someone stealthily attempting to walk past the family room doors. Nabiki jumped to her feet and slid the door open quickly, surprising her father as he attempted to tip-toe past.

"Daddy!" Nabiki exclaimed.

Akane almost teleported, she moved so fast, as she suddenly appeared in front of her father. "Daddy, we were so," she began, only to stop as she took in the appearance of the man in front of her. The lip-stick stains on his shirt collar were bad enough, but the missing buttons were worse. And then to top it off was the guilty yet satiated look on her father's face.

Kasumi finished the triangle, by standing behind her father. "Daddy, where were you last night?" she asked, with a slight frown.

"Were you with Hinako all night?" Akane gasped.

Soun looked at Ranma and Tofu and exclaimed, "Help!"

Akane and Kasumi turned and glared at their husbands. Ranma shrugged helplessly and said, quickly, "Uh, Doc, don't you remember, we had something we needed to do in the dojo?"

Tofu quickly responded and said, "Yes, that's right!" The two of them quickly fled out the door to the outside, leaving Soun to the tender mercies of his daughters.

As they left, they heard the sound of Soun's voice, "Cowards!" Then as they were getting out of earshot, they heard the sound of two angry female voices, and the sound of Kasumi's voice. However, there was an unaccustomed edge to Kasumi's voice that neither of the men had ever heard.

Author's Notes: Thanks for all of the reviews. They are always welcome at all times. And for those of you who have read Ranma's Decision, this chapter does have some similarities in what happened to Genma. Though as Nodoka said, she did in essence 'kill' the old Genma. I have to admit I was a little surprised no one commented on the Xena reference. This epic does have many more ideas and plot twists up ahead, so while the updates will be slow, they will come. See below for specific responses.

Renzuko: As you can see, there are different definitions of 'dead'. I hope you enjoyed.

Lord Strife: Ditto. Some gratuitous Genma bashing as well.

Taxzombie: Thanks, I liked the way that one turned out. And I'm not done with Par Fum. She does need to pay for what she tried to do. Hopefully what happened to Genma was not quite what everyone was expecting. Though she did get some pounding. And yes, I expect Mr. Kuonji is going to be visited. I don't think either Ryoga or Ranma is real happy with him at the moment.

TheCentauress: Yes, she was/is a lore mistress. And mad as well.

Dennisud: Yep, that's a fine line to walk, esp. since I want to stay PG-13. As you can see, I came up with a different solution.


	49. Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 49 Trials and Tribulations

Soun stared nervously at his three daughters as he realized that they were angry with him.

Nabiki asked, her face impassive, "Daddy where were you last night?"

"Yeah, what kind of example are you setting for Nabiki? Running around all night chasing a woman," Akane said, angrily.

Nabiki glared at Akane.

"What would Mom have said?" Kasumi asked calmly.

Soun turned to his oldest daughter and said with a dignity that they had not seen in quite some time, "If your mother was still alive, I wouldn't even be thinking of another woman. She's not though. And I suspect that wherever she is right now, looking down at me, she's probably screaming her lungs out saying 'it's about time idiot'. Your mother would have wanted me to be happy after she was gone. In fact, she told me before she died to find someone else. I was just so busy feeling sorry for myself that I never did. Then you two got married, and Nabiki got engaged, and for the first time, I realized that I was letting myself grow old. And I really didn't want to be alone any more."

"So you decided to chase the first female that found you attractive," Akane accused, "and then hop into bed with her."

"Not exactly, daughter. We haven't gotten quite that far in our relationship, not that that is really any of your concern," Soun said, his face heating up, "both of us are quite aware what our hormones are telling us. Hinako has only recently been able to be an adult for more than just a few hours, so her body is telling her to get busy. But that episode when she drained Happosai's chi has her skittish, so she's in no hurry. And I'm not going to rush her. I have become very fond of her so I'm not going to ruin our chance to be together just becaue I can't control myself."

Akane had begun to blush furiously when her father mentioned the old freak. Her mind flashed back to the uncomfortable hours she had spent in the living room of her teacher's apartment, listening to Hinako pleasure herself. "But where have you been all night then?" she asked.

"Just because we didn't go that far, doesn't mean we couldn't be together," her father said gently. Then he said half to himself, "and she is a wonderful kisser."

"Oh my," Kasumi replied, "I think it's wonderful, Daddy. I like Hinako, and I hope the two of you can get together."

Nabiki grimaced and added, "Mom would have wanted you to be happy, that's true. And I guess I hadn't thought about what you might be feeling with all of us growing up and eventually leaving you behind."

"B-but," Akane stammered, "She's my homeroom teacher. What will everyone think when they find out that she's dating my father?"

"We didn't really take that into consideration," Soun admitted, "but, if someone has a problem with it, they can talk to me. I'm sure I can make them see reason. I doubt she will show you any favoritism just because we have a relationship."

"Daddy, just how naïve do you think I am?" Akane asked. Then she stopped to think about the last month. She finally added, "You do have a point, I suppose. When we helped her get cured, she didn't really cut either Ranma or me any slack, even though we had to be practically intimate with her. Just don't talk to her about school. I'm not sure I could handle the embarrassment."

The little girl slowly opened her eyes to the smell of freshly brewed tea. As she sat up in the large bed, she saw an attractive woman sitting down at a table, calmly sipping from a small cup.

"Good morning, dear," the woman said, with a smile, "How are you feeling?"

The woman looked strangely familiar, with a friendly face. The little girl had mixed feelings about her. She loved the woman, but was also afraid of her. Then as she saw this odd bundle leaning against the dresser, she realized she was afraid of the contents.

"I'm a little hungry," the girl admitted. "Who are you?", she asked, her eyes looking troubled. She asked, "Who am I?" She began to panic, tears beginning to stream from her eyes. Finally, she cried, "Why can't I remember anything?"

The woman crossed over to the bed, and took the small girl in her arms, holding her close. "Hush, little one," she said, "It will be all right. You're suffering from something called amnesia, so you've forgotten many things, but we'll help you remember."

Sniffling, the little girl smiled uncertainly at the woman holding her. "Are you my mommy?" she asked, feeling that she knew the woman somehow.

"Yes, I'm your mother," the woman replied, "My name is Nodoka, and you are my daughter Genko. You have an older brother named Ranma, and an adopted sister, Ukyo. Now, why don't you get dressed, and we can get something to eat once your sister joins us."

Genko looked puzzled for a moment as what she had heard seemed to conflict slightly with what little she remembered. The names Nodoka, Ranma and Ukyo sounded familiar, though. She slid out of bed, and her mother handed her a set of clothing. As the little girl took off the Hello Kitty pajamas that she was wearing, an older girl came out of the bathroom. "Hello, Genko," the girl said, in a kind voice, "Do you remember me, sugar? I'm your sister Ukyo. You sure are a pretty little thing."

The little girl slipped into her clothing and then said, bashfully, "No, I'm sorry. I don't remember you. I remember the name, but that's all." She ran and hid behind the older woman, and peeked out from behind her. Something about her sister scared her and she didn't know what it was. It was like someone inside of her was saying, "Danger! Danger!"

"That's okay, sis," Ukyo said, with a smile, "We'll make plenty of good memories in the future. That I promise. You can't believe how I'm looking forward to helping Mom raise you." Suddenly, that bright smile seemed to look just a little bit dark.

"Are you ready for something to eat?" Nodoka asked.

In reply, the little girl's stomach growled. The older two women laughed, not unkindly. Her sister said, "Well, that hasn't changed any."

Nodoka turned to Ukyo and asked,"Could you finish packing and then meet us downstairs? There's no reason to spend another night here."

Ukyo nodded and pulled a backpack up off the floor and set it on the bed, while Nodoka and Genko walked out of the door of the hotel room. Nodoka held out her hand. Genko stared at it for a second and then grabbed it as if it were a lifeline.

"What's my sister like? She scares me for some reason," Genko asked as they walked down the long hallway.

"She's a very nice girl. I think you'll come to care for both her and her husband, Ryoga. They have a baby on the way, so you'll have a little one to play with soon," Nodoka replied.

"A baby?" Genko asked, excited.

"Uh huh, you'll be a little auntie," Nodoka replied, "Anyway, Ukyo runs a small restaurant in our hometown of Nerima. We'll be going home as soon as we finish packing. Then you can see the rest of your family."

"Do I have a big family?" the little girl asked shyly.

Nodoka smiled and said, "Yes, your brother Ranma is married to a lovely girl named Akane. She has two older sisters, Kasumi and Nabiki. Kasumi is married and Nabiki is recently engaged. And there's a young girl that I've come to care for as if she were my own named Shampoo. She just got married."

The girl put her thumb in her mouth and began sucking on it.

Nodoka gently removed the thumb and said, "Let's not start any bad habits, dear. If you do that, your permanent teeth can come in crooked."

The two of them entered the small restaurant that the flea-bitten hotel offered. Nodoka wrinkled up her nose at the faint smell of rancid grease that wafted through the air towards them and grimaced slightly. "Oh well, I've been in worse places," she said as she led her daughter to a table overlooking the busy street outside.

Genko woke from her nap and realized with a start that the train had stopped. Nodoka was gently shaking her, and then as she saw the little girl was awake, smiled and said, "We've stopped at our station. We're almost home. Did you have a good nap?"

"Yes, mommy, I did," the little girl said, "Home, that's such a nice sounding word."

"Yes, dear. It is, and I'm really glad we're back," Nodoka replied. She again held out her hand and Genko grabbed hold of it. The two of them headed down the aisle toward the exit, with Ukyo bringing up the rear. Once they exited the car, Ukyo held out her hand as well. Genko grasped her hand and the trio headed out of the station, with the little girl half-skipping between the two older women. Over her head, the two women exchanged amused looks.

"I'll walk with you to your house, Mom, but then I really want to get back to my husband," Ukyo said.

"I know you've missed him, dear, but you know why I didn't let him come," Nodoka said.

"Yes, I know. The same reason that you told Ranma to stay here as well," Ukyo said, "What are your plans?"

"Well, I need to talk to my son and let him know how things went," Nodoka replied, "and I need to take Genko out shopping for more clothes."

Genko's attention was caught as they approached an ice cream parlor. "Mommy, can we get some ice cream?" she asked.

Nodoka smiled down at the eager little girl and replied, "Why don't we wait until we get home? We're nearly there. I can fix some lunch, and I think there's a little ice cream in the freezer."

At the mention of the word lunch, Genko's eyes lit up, and she replied, "Okay, mommy. I can wait that long, I think."

"That's my good little girl," Nodoka said.

As they continued walking, the little girl saw that they were nearing a small walled compound. At the gate, Ukyo bent down and hugged the little girl and said, "Drop by the restaurant tomorrow, Mom, and I'll come with you. She needs a taste of okonomiyaki anyway." Then she hugged Nodoka, and headed off, as the other two entered the compound and headed up the flagstone path, through what appeared to be an immaculate garden, toward the front door ofa small but neat house.

Ah Sum sat next to his wife Xian Pu as they waited impatiently in the council chamber for the trial to begin. Ah Sum had just enough time to start to fidget and for Xian Pu to turn to him and hiss, #Stop That!# before the doors at the front of the chamber opened and the seven tribal Elders slowly filed out and took their place on the raised dais at the front of the chamber.

The Matriarch, sitting as the middle of the seven Elders, slowly stood up. She began to speak in a language unfamiliar to Ah Sum. He turned and shot a puzzled look at his wife, who whispered, #She's praying to our Gods in our ancient ancestral tongue.#

As the Matriarch spoke, Taro heard what sounded like an invocation to the names, Hair Ah, Fro Die Tie, De Meter and finally, The Na. Once the prayer was finished, a solemn hush fell over the audience as the Matriarch sat back down, stone-faced.

The doors at the back crashed open, and Khu Lon appeared. She made her way to the front of the room, facing the raised dais, and her fellow elders. Following her, two guards in full regalia brought forth the Elder Par Fum, who stared defiantly at the crowd.

The Matriarch said sternly, #We are here today to judge a matter affecting the honor of the Amazon tribe. This court of Joketsuzoku is now in session. Who stands in judgement?#

#The former Elder Par Fum is being brought before us today,# Khu Lon began, neither her voice or face showing signs of the pain that she felt about bringing her old friend to trial.

#What is the charge?# the Matriarch asked.

Khu Lon replied, #Interfering with the marriage of Xian Pu of the Amazons and her husband Ah Sum Taro, who defeated her in lawful combat in the land of the Rising Sun. In the course of that interference, Xian Pu was wounded and one of the attackers was killed.#

A buzz of intense conversation arose from the audience, only to die down as the Matriarch frowned in anger. #Do you have witnesses for this interference?# the Matriarch asked.

#Yes, Honored Matriarch. There are Xian Pu and Ah Sum, as well as the misguided warriors that performed the attack. There is Par Fum herself who participated,# Khu Lon stated, #There is also the testimony of the guards who came to the rescue after the alarm was sounded.#

#Very well,# the Matriarch replied, #present your case, Elder Khu Lon.#

Khu Lon turned to Xian Pu and asked, #Warrior Xian Pu, tell us what you can of the events of the previous night.#

Xian Pu blushed and asked, #Can I start with after we were awakened?#

A brief smile flashed across Khu Lon's face as the audience was filled with the sound of barely suppressed laughter. #Is it safe to assume that your marriage was consumated?# Khu Lon asked.

Xian Pu nodded her head, her cheeks flaming. Then bringing herself under control, she continued her testimony, saying, #My husband awakened me and said that he heard something at the door, and suggested that I get my sword and some cold water. I did as he suggested and ran to the bathing chamber, bringing back my sword and the water. By the time I got back, a party of warriors led by Elder Par Fum had just burst open the door and was beginning to attack. However, my Airen has a Jusenkyo curse and when I splashed him with the cold water, he changed.#

#What happened then?# Khu Lon prompted.

#Several of the warriors charged my husband with their spears. He took off the spearpoints, rendering their weapons useless, so they fell back in disarray. The next two came at us with their maces, and one of them attempted to hit me with her mace. I threw my knife at her, and caught her in her belly, taking her out of the fight. Airen took care of the other one with a swipe of his paw,# Xian Pu said proudly, #Then, Par Fum began to chant an incantation, but Airen shot her with his ink from his tentacles, blinding many of the remaining warriors, and filling the Elder's mouth with ink. They turned to flee, allowing Airen to block the doorway. I began to bind up the warriors that we had beaten, and staunched the wound of the one I had fought. Then one of the warriors attempted to attack Airen from the side so I fought her off. That is where I received my wound, and that's about all I remember.#

#Thank you, Warrior Xian Pu,# Khu Lon said. She turned to Taro and asked, #Can you add anything to the testimony you have just heard, Warrior Ah Sum?#

The crowd stirred restlessly at hearing Ah Sum called a warrior.

#In defending my wife from her attacker, I unfortunately killed the warrior,# Taro said slowly, #I regret the necessity of that action, however, I would do it again if I had to. No one attacks my Xian Pu with impunity.# His eyes flashed angrily with that avowal.

#Thank you Warrior,# Khu Lon said. Turning to the Matriarch, she added, #The testimony of all of the warriors is in front of you there. All of the ones who attacked the Warriors Xian Pu and Ah Sum state that they did so under the direction and leadership of the former Elder Par Fum. The testimony of the warriors under my command state that they saw the former Elder Par Fum in the cabin, covered with ink, and that they secured her and the remaining warriors.#

The Matriarch wearilly rubbed her eyes, and turned to Par Fum. She asked, #Do you have anything to say in your defense, Par Fum?#

Par Fum lifted her head proudly and replied, #No. I did what I did for the good of the Amazon people, as I have always done. I have spent my life in service to the tribe, and I regret none of my actions.#

The Matriarch sighed in vexation and said, #Then I have no choice but to pronounce that you are found guilty both in the attack on the Warriors Xian Pu and Ah Sum and in the death of the Warrior maiden So Ap.# She hesitated and then turned to Khu Lon. #Do you have a recommendation for punishment, Elder Khu Lon?# she asked.

Taro turned to Xian Pu and whispered, #What is the proper punishment for what happened?#

#For interferring with our marriage, the usual punishment is death,# Shampoo replied.

#There was enough death that night, can you request mercy?# Taro asked, quietly.

Xian Pu stood up and asked, #Honored Matriarch, as one of the injured parties in this matter, I would request that as much mercy be shown to this woman as possible. In recognition of her long service to the tribe, and the fact that neither my Airen nor I wish the memory of our wedding to be marred by any more deaths, I request that this favor be granted.#

Khu Lon turned to the Matriarch and replied, #I would add my wish that this request be granted. As Warrior Xian Pu has stated, Par Fum has served admirably in the past. I would request that she be banished to the retreat for the next year, there to ponder her actions. At the end of that year, I would ask the Council to judge her fitness for return to the village. Furthermore, I request that her family pay reparations for the death of the Warrior So Ap.#

The Matriarch turned to the other six Elders, who all nodded in agreement. #So be it. Punishment to begin immediately. Guards, take the prisoner to her cabin and allow her to pack. She shall be sent to the retreat on the morrow,# the Matriarch stated firmly. She paused and then added, #This Court is now over.#

The guards turned Par Fum and led her out of the coucil chamber. Khu Lon turned to follow, but stopped as the Matriarch said, #We will need to appoint a successor to the former Elder, Khu Lon. We will meet in session once the chamber is cleared.#

Shampoo turned to Taro and said, #Tomorrow, I'd like to start heading back home. I miss my other family, and you need to get to know them better.#

Taro said, #Where are we going to stay?#

#I've been living with my foster mother, Nodoka, and she said that you were welcome there until we come up with a better arrangement. But with me in high school, I can't earn too much money,# Shampoo replied.

Taro thought for a moment and then said, #It wouldn't hurt for me to continue my education, either. I wonder if I can get into college.#

Shampoo smirked and suggested, #When we get back, we can talk to Nabiki. I bet she can pull some strings and at least get you into the local school.#

Author's notes: Thanks for all of the comments, and suggestions. As always they are appreciated and encouraged. Thanks also go to my pre-reader, Taechunsa, for his suggestions. Specific comments are below:

SilverBullet23: I do need to get Ranma some advanced training. On the one hand, I'm not sure I can use the unperverted Happosai, I'll have to look closely at what I've already written to make sure it doesn't cause a paradox. On the other hand, Ranma does have Happosai's scrolls, so there's that possibility as well. On the gripping hand, most of those techniques are pretty perverted.

Blueramza: I've got several more ideas for this story. It just doesn't want to write itself as fast as my other tale.

Albert: I guess we have a bit different opinion of Ranma and Genma. Ranma almost painfully defined the word honor. Granted he did scam for free food, but that's probably the worst that he did. Genma on the other hand wouldn't know what the word meant. Plus, almost all of the training that he put Ranma that we know about from either the manga or the anime was pushing abuse. Certainly the Neko-ken was. Certainly, I've portrayed Genma as a bit more venal in this story than he may come across in the canon, but I don't think I've taken him to out of character.

Taechunsa: You're right. I have neglected his training. Thanks for the reminder. I guess my only excuse was I was concentrating on the romance/relationship part of the comedy and overlooked the martial arts side of it. Not much of an excuse.

LordStrife: Not really. I plan on taking that relationship a bit slower than it may have first appeared. That scene though was just too good to not use.

Renzuko: Yep. Ranma has great sense for combat. I figure he and Tofu would both know better than get in the middle of that mess.

Wonderbee31: Thanks. Well, here's what happens to Par Fum, at least for now. (VBG) As for Ukyo's father, I do have a few ideas percolating. As far as Genma is concerned, yeah, hopefully she'll be a better person. Though, Nodoka as a mother?


	50. What Little Girls Are Made Of

Chapter50 What Little Girls Are Made Of

Nodoka opened the door to her house to see Ranma and Akane standing on the doorstep. "Come on in, dear ones," she said as she led her son and daughter-in-law into the family room.

"So, how'd it go with Pop?" Ranma asked.

Nodoka said, softly, "We need to talk about that, dear."

Ranma looked ill as he asked, "He's not dead, is he?"

"In a way he is, Ranma. I gave the man who once was your father a choice. I told him that I would be his second if he desired seppuku, or Ukyo could kill him to achieve her vengeance. Or I gave him a third choice," Nodoka began. She hesitated and then continued, "Shampoo had given me some magic mushrooms and taught me a memory erasing technique. I gave him a chance at a new life as my daughter. That is the one he accepted."

"YOU DID WHAT?" Ranma asked in surprise. He rose from his seat only to be stopped by a gesture from his wife.

"Hush, Ranma," Akane said. Then she turned to Nodoka, and asked, "Your daughter? How can that be possible?"

"The mushrooms are magic and return the person who eats them to a younger state. The one I selected reverted her to about five years old, and then I modified her memories, as well as the fact that she was once a boy. I think I may have gone a little overboard, though," Nodoka replied.

"So I have a little sister," Ranma said half in shock. Then he shook himself, and said, "How could you do that to him? Can you change him back?"

"Genma agreed to it, Ranma. Eventually his memories will return, but if we are successful in teaching the girl better, then the resultant person will be a more responsible man or woman, depending on what she decides to do. Believe me, that's the choice I hoped that she would make. I didn't want to have Genma's blood on my hands. I still love him after all, even with all of the horrible things that he did to you," Nodoka replied. She hesitated for a second.

Ranma noticed the hesitation and asked, "There's more that you haven't told us, isn't there?"

Nodoka hid her face in her hands and said, muffled, "Yes. There's something else." She lifted her face up and replied, "Somehow her curse is locked. She can handle hot water again but she doesn't change."

Ranma exclaimed, "What! How could that happen?"

"I don't know. All I know is that when I gave her a bath last night after we came home, she wanted to get into the furo with me. I couldn't think of a good reason to keep her out and when she did get in, she just didn't change, and the warmth of the water didn't bother her," Nodoka replied warily, not sure exactly how Ranma was going to take this.

Ranma stared at his mother in shock, and then to her surprise began to chuckle. After several long moments, he wiped some tears from his eyes and asked, "So what are we going to call her?"

"I thought we would call her Genko," Nodoka replied, her face relaxing at the reaction of her son.

"Mysterious Flower, huh?" Akane mused, "That's not a bad description of her, is it? So where is my new baby sister-in-law?"

"Asleep in her bedroom, I hope. At least that's where she was when I came down to answer the door," Nodoka answered, "Shall we go see her?"

"This is going to be hard to get used to," Ranma muttered, under his breath, "My head hurts. And Soun is gonna have a hard time getting used to this too. Damn, he'll flood the house when he finds out."

Genko woke up from her nap suddenly, and bolted upright in her bed. As she gazed around the room, she looked confused. She had been so sleepy after the large lunch her mother had prepared for her, that she really hadn't paid that much attention to the room before she had collapsed quickly on the futon, as her mother tucked her in. Now that she was awake, though, she realized that she didn't recognize the room she was in. She started to panic, but just before a full fledge heart pounding scare arose, the door opened and her mother walked in, followed by medium-height young man, with black hair, wearing a friendly face. She immediately liked the look of the young man. Almost on his heels, a very attractive young woman followed him in, a kindly expression on her face, with an impish look in her eyes.

The young man stared at her and then his face blanched. He turned to flee the room, only to be held by the young woman. "I can't face this," the man said, confusing Genko.

"Ranma," the young woman said sharply.

"What's wrong with him?" Genko asked shyly.

"He's just a bit overcome with emotion," her mother said, "You've changed some since he's seen you last."

The girl snickered in reaction to that comment, confusing Genko even more.

Nodoka glanced at the young man, who turned and looked at Genko, a panicked look in his eyes. Then her mother asked, "Did you sleep well, dear?"

"Yes, mommy," she replied, shyly, then she looked at the young man and lisped, in a happy tone, "I 'member you a little, you're my brother Ranma."

The young man walked over and crouched down next to her so that they were at the same height, and said, "Hi, little sis. Yep, I'm your brother Ranma and that's my wife Akane." 'I can do this,' he thought.

To his surprise, the little girl hugged him and said, in a loud whisper, "She's very pretty. I like her. She looks very friendly."

Akane blushed and said, "Why thank you, sis. You're very cute, too. How much do you remember about us?"

The little girl frowned in concentration, and then replied, lisping slightly, "I 'member big brother a little bit I think. An' I think I 'member you a little bit, 'kane least I think so, I see you in a yellow gi sometimes breaking concrete blocks."

Akane smiled, transforming her face, and replied, "Uh huh, I do that sometimes. Our family has a dojo and I practice breaking blocks in there."

"Our family practices the school of Anything Goes Martial Arts, sis," Ranma said slowly, "I'm the master of the Saotome school, and Akane's father is the master of the Tendo school. The three of us teach several students."

"I wanna learn too, I wanna be a student," the little girl begged.

Ranma smiled, and said, "That's up to Mom, I suppose."

"We'll see." Nodoka said, with a smile, "I need to teach you many things also. For now, why don't you get dressed and join us in the kitchen. Then you can ask us questions while I fix dinner."

Genko's stomach growled agreement, as the little girl blushed in embarrassment.

"Sounds like you said the magic word, Mom," Akane teased. They left the room long enough for Genko to throw a dress on and join them. Then the four of them walked downstairs to the kitchen.

Ranma opened the door to the family room and found that once again Soun was staring at the shogi board, his eyes lost in thought. Ranma asked Akane softly, "Go find your sisters and bring them in here. We need to tell them about Pop."

Akane nodded her head, her eyes showing her concern at how her father was going to take the news that they were about to tell.

"Hello, Dad. Ready for your regular beating at shogi?" Ranma asked as he entered the room.

Soun jumped in surprise and then looked at Ranma. He smiled and replied, "Sure. We can play while we talk. Did you have a good visit with your mother?"

Ranma hesitated for a second and then forced a smile. "Yeah, it was nice. I'm glad she's back," he replied.

As they began to set up the game pieces, Kasumi and Nabiki followed Akane into the family room.

"What's so important that Akane had to pull me away from the Financial News?" Nabiki groused as she flopped to the floor.

"Uh, well, you see," Ranma stammered.

"Oh honestly, Ranma, just spit it out. Is my sister pregnant or something?" Nabiki demanded.

Akane blushed and Ranma shook his head violently. "No! She's not," he said.

"Well, why not? Aren't you two trying?" Kasumi asked, her eyes dancing.

"SIS!" Akane yelled.

Ranma just buried his head in his hands and hoped that they didn't realize he was laughing. Finally, he raised his head and said, a bit loudly, "No, we just wanted to talk about what happened to Pop. One of the things we didn't tell you before, when I took the mastery of the school away from him was that Mom cursed him with some of the water from the spring of drowned girl. That's the real reason he ran off, well, that and Mom told him to get out of Nerima."

"He also couldn't change back with hot water since he was too sensitive to it," Akane added, "And because of that, he kept trying to get revenge on both Ranma and Ukyo. Mom finally tracked him down this last time because of the things he had done and was planning on making an end to all of that."

Soun stared at him in horror and asked, in a shocked voice, "Is he dead?"

Ranma replied, "Well, sort of."

"Okay, Ranma," Nabiki drawled, "How can he sort of be dead? Isn't that an all or nothing kind of thing?"

"Well, Mom gave him a choice. He could commit seppeku with Mom as his second, let Ukyo kill him, or well, take a potion that wouldturnhimintoalittlegirl," Ranma replied, running the last of the sentence real fast.

"Huh?" Nabiki asked.

"What Ranma's trying to say is that he has a little sister now. Nodoka also did something to her to make her forget who she was. She doesn't remember too much about any of us," Akane added.

"Mom says that the memories are suppressed, not removed, so eventually they will come back. She hopes that by then Genko, as Mom is calling her, will be able to handle what happened," Ranma continued.

The other three stared at them in shock, and then Soun began to laugh a deep, rich laugh, one that the girls hadn't heard in years. "How appropriate," Soun gasped, "Your mother has a rather wicked sense of humor, Ranma."

Ranma looked at Soun and said, "This wasn't the reaction I expected from you, Dad. I expected you to be very upset."

"Ranma, I miss the man your father used to be," Soun replied, "I'm not upset with what your mother did to the person that he turned into. He needs to learn a lot of lessons differently."

Ranma looked at Soun with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Daddy, what did you mean by that?" Akane asked.

"Genma was a very good person before we started training with Happosai. The things that the Master originally taught us were useful, but once we were far enough along in our studies, he tried to teach us his perverted ways," Soun said with a shudder, "The peeping at the public baths was one thing. I could sort of understand that."

"Daddy!" Kasumi exclaimed, a shocked expression on her face.

"Remember, I was very young, Kasumi," Soun explained, "But the stealing of underwear and worse that he wanted us to do was the final straw for us both. But by then, Happosai had managed to corrupt your father." He paused for a few moments and then continued, "I had always hoped that I had been untouched by what I was exposed to, but even now I'm not completely sure that I was immune."

"What do you mean by that?" Nabiki asked.

"I'd rather not say. It's really not a suitable topic for a father to discuss with his daughters," Soun said with dignity.

Ranma chuckled and asked, "It wouldn't have anything to do with how you feel around Hinako, would it? If it does, than I doubt it's caused by any training that you might have gotten from the old pervert. If she didn't cause you to, um, respond, then I would think something was seriously wrong with you."

"Ranma," Akane growled warningly, as her sisters blushed.

"Hey, I'm married, not blind," Ranma retorted, "You have to admit that she is an attractive woman. But you're the one that I want, so there."

Akane looked thoughtful and then she smiled. "Come on, Ranma, it's getting late. Why don't we go to bed?" she asked.

"Why? I'm not tired yet," Ranma replied, "Why don't we go work out in the dojo for a while."

"Who said anything about sleeping?" Akane asked saucily, with a wicked look to her eyes.

Ranma's eyes got bright and he stood up. The two of them walked out of the family room, leaving a bemused family behind.

Nabiki muttered, "I'm definitely going to soundproof my room."

Akane stared nervously at the front of the classroom, sure that all of her friends were ready to tease her about the relationship that her homeroom teacher was having with her father. Blushing slightly, she thought to herself, 'I'm surprised that they already haven't started calling me a teacher's pet because of how close Ranma, Hinako and I got during the course of her cure. For crying out loud, we saw her topless for a month.'

Ranma watched his wife, worried about how she was handling the situation. After he had reluctantly spoken with Soun, he knew that the older man was at least being wise about rushing into things with the attractive teacher, but still, the idea that they were seriously dating was causing Akane to really stress out. And then for Hinako to ask them to come by after school and talk had nearly caused Akane to run off in embarrassment.

Ukyo was shifting uncomfortably in her chair, unsure exactly what was making her squirm. For some reason, many of the girls that she thought had been her friends were no longer looking her in the eye when they talked to her and in fact, fled as soon as possible, using the thinnest of excuses as a reason to leave. 'It doesn't make any sense. When they found out that Ryoga and I had married, all of them were happy for us. Most of the girls even dragged their boyfriends to the restaurant after school and made sure that they saw how happy the two of us were, they thought it was so romantic,' she thought.

Ukyo joined Ranma and Akane at lunch, her face pale. Akane noticed her expression and asked, "What's wrong, Ukyo?"

"I was, uh, in one of the stalls, in the restroom and overheard some girls talking," Ukyo finally answered, her voice shaky.

Ranma stopped eating when he heard the pain in her voice. "Who were they, and what were they talking about that got you so upset?" he growled.

"I didn't recognize all of the voices, but one of the girls was Yuka," Ukyo said, reluctantly. She hesitated for a long while and then said very softly, "Apparently the news that we're having a baby has gotten around, and they weren't saying very nice things about us. That the only reason that Ryoga married me is because I trapped him by getting pregnant. I guess it hadn't really been common knowledge that Ryoga was sleeping at the restaurant for some reason."

"What did Yuka say?" Akane asked, her eyes blazing.

"She's the one that told them that Ryoga lived at the restaurant, though she did say that he had his own room," Ukyo replied, "And she said that we had been engaged for several months, so she wasn't surprised at us getting married. She agreed that it was a little suspicious that we ran off and didn't have a ceremony. And somehow, they found out that my father disowned me. Of course, they didn't know the reason why it happened, so they were making up all kind of stories. Most of them though were saying he must have disowned me because I dishonored the family by getting pregnant out of wedlock."

"Ouch," Akane said, "That's pretty cruel. I can see why that would upset you."

"Yeah, and a lot of the girls that I thought were my friends seem to not want to have anything to do with me anymore. And some of the boys were leaving me some pretty nasty notes, wanting me to meet them for a 'date' since apparently I was so easy," Ukyo whispered.

Ranma began to glower and he asked, "Who were they and in how many pieces do you want them left in?"

"Hey, sugar, that's sweet of you to offer, but I don't need an overprotective brother," Ukyo replied, her face lighting up for the first time.

"That's what big brothers are for," Ranma protested.

"Yeah, but I'm a couple of months older than you, so how can you be my big brother," Ukyo replied.

Ranma grinned wryly and said, "It's a state of mind thing, Ucchan. I'll always feel like your big brother. Deal with it."

"And you're family. Family always sticks together. If you need any help, you know who you can turn to," Akane interjected.

Ukyo smiled shyly and whispered, "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I'm glad the two of you feel that way."

Akane reached over and hugged Ukyo. Ranma scrambled over and joined them in the hug. Akane said softly, "Well, that's the way we feel about you, Ucchan."

Ukyo's eyes got real big. She said, "I think that's the first time you've called me that, sugar. I guess Ranchan is rubbing off on you."

"You better now?" Ranma asked.

"I think so," Ukyo replied, looking a lot happier than when she first sat down.

'I think I need to see Yuka and talk to her,' Akane thought, 'and find out who started all these rumors.' She looked up and saw Yuka talking to Sayuri and some of the other girls in her class. She pulled out of the joint hug and stood up.

Ranma said, "You need to eat something, Ucchan. It'll make you feel a bit better." At that moment, Ranma's stomach growled a little.

Ukyo giggled and said, "Sounds like I'm not the only one that needs to be fed." She stood back up and pulled out her portable grill from wherever she hid it and began fixing several okonomiyakis for the two of them.

As Akane stormed up to her friends, Yuka paled. She could tell that Akane was upset over something, and after looking over Akane's shoulder to see Ukyo being comforted by Ranma, she was afraid that she might know what it was.

"Yuka, Sayuri, I'd like to talk to you," Akane said sweetly.

Yuka gulped and said, "Sure, Akane. What did you want to talk about?"

"We've been friends for a long time, ever since we started school together all those years ago," Akane began, "So it hurts to see you involved in the gossiping about my sister Ukyo."

"Sister? What do you mean by sister?" Yuka asked.

Akane blushed and replied, "Well, actually sister-in-law. When that bastard Kuonji disowned her, Mom took Ukyo into her clan. So even though Ryoga and Ukyo are married, she's still part of the Saotome clan. And even if she wasn't, she's still my friend."

"But why did her father disown her? Was it because she was pregnant?" Sayuri asked softly.

"No, it was worse than that. When Ukyo was six, her father arranged for Genma Saotome to take her with him and also arranged a marriage with Ranma. Well, the short answer is that Genma ran off with Ukyo's dowry so they swore to get revenged on both Ranma and Genma," Akane replied, "But when she tracked Ranma down, she found out that he was innocent of doing anything wrong so she didn't want to hurt him. And then she found out she wasn't even the only fiancée that Genma had arranged so that really caused problems."

"I didn't realize that she was supposed to be one of the fiancées. All I knew is that one of the girls from your family was supposed to marry Ranma, and you were the lucky one that got him," Yuka said.

"Well, anyway, we sort of tricked her father, by making him think Ranma was a girl. When he found out that Ranma really was a guy, and that Ukyo knew about it, he disowned her," Akane said.

"That's rough," Sayuri replied.

Akane grimaced and said, "Yeah it is. Ukyo is a good person, but she's had a hard life. It's not easy running a restaurant at her age, and going to school to boot. And then, to be married at such a young age, and to top it off, become pregnant. She doesn't need the people that she thought were her friends to spread ugly rumors about her."

"Why did she get married so quickly then?" Yuka persisted.

Akane glared at her friend and replied, "They were engaged for a long time, Yuka. Does it really matter if they anticipated the wedding date by a little bit and slept together? Isn't it more important that they are married and very happy with each other?"

"N-no, I guess not," Yuka said hesitantly. Then she asked, "Why do you feel so strongly about this though?"

"Several reasons. First, she's family and I don't want to see either of them hurt. And I know how hard it must have been to wait," Akane replied, blushing slightly. She hesitated and asked, "How would you treat me if I was the expectant newlywed?"

Yuka gasped and asked, "You're not pregnant are you?"

"No!" she exclaimed, her face flaming. "But I could easily have been. Ranma and I were sharing a bed long before we ever got married. Not that we ever did anything that we shouldn't have. We wanted to wait until we were married before we did that," she said, once she got her composure back. She giggled for a second, and then added, "Though we did move the wedding up a bunch. It started getting harder and harder to not go too far."

Yuka looked shamefaced and said, "I guess I have been treating her badly. If it had been you, I wouldn't have spread rumors about you, I would have just been helping you pick out clothing and been supportive."

Sayuri said sadly, "She's right. We shouldn't have listened to any of those bitches spreading tales."

"They're probably just jealous that she's got such a cute husband," Akane said with a smile.

"Do you think she'll still want to be friends with us?" Yuka asked, still shamefaced.

"Why don't you go ask her? Or better yet, take her out for ice cream or shopping. She could use some time away from the restaurant," Akane said.

Akane reluctantly opened the door to the classroom to find her teacher gathering up all of her belongings. Ranma pushed her into the room. Hinako looked up with a welcome smile and said, "Thanks for coming back by, Akane. I thought we could talk a bit about how you're feeling."

"What do you mean, Miss Ninomayi?" Akane asked.

Hinako looked a bit sad as she asked, "What happened to Hinako?"

"Why don't we go find some ice cream, my treat," Ranma suggested.

Hinako's eyes lit up and she said, "That's a yummy idea, Ranma. You know I'd never turn down free ice cream. That hasn't changed even now that I'm always an adult. We can talk things out there."

The three of them left the classroom and made their way silently to the local ice cream parlor, after Ranma had stopped by the rest room for some cold water. The three girls entered the ice cream shoppe and proceeded to order their desserts.

Hinako shook her head as they sat down. "Ranma, you're shameless. Two extra scoops of ice cream, I mean really, how could you do that to that poor man." She giggled for a second, especially as Ranma began to blush furiously. "But I can tell I need to have you show me how to flirt," she continued.

The three women sat there in companionable silence as they began to eat their desserts. Hinako had realized early on in their relationship that Ranma wouldn't talk much while she was eating. She turned to Akane and asked, "Akane, dear, I could see that you were very nervous this morning. Are you worried about the fact that your father and I are dating?"

Akane blushed, and replied, "Well, a little bit. When it was just a couple of dates, it didn't worry me much. But it looks like that the two of you might be getting serious, so yeah, I guess I am unsure of things."

"I care for your father a great deal, Akane, and I want to make him happy. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that things won't change between us, but I feel like you are my friends, more than just students," Hinako said, "Because of what we shared the last month, and everything that you two did for me, I have come to love the two of you. But I won't treat you any differently in class because of that."

Ranma said softly, "And he has been happy. Happier than I think I've ever seen him, Hinako. You've been good for him."

'Ranma's right!' Akane thought in shock, 'Daddy hasn't broke down crying since they started seeing each other. Even last night when we told him about Genma, he didn't cry.'

"Akane, Ranma, I don't know where your father and I are going in this relationship. It's still very new to us both," Hinako said.

"Just help him be happy, that's all I ask," Akane said, with a quick grin, "I don't want him to be lonely anymore. I just hadn't realized until now that he was." She reached over and hugged Hinako and said, "Be good to him, please."

Ranma stopped at Nabiki's room and looked in. He saw Nabiki wearing her exercise outfit, a set of short shorts and a crop top, doing leg lifts on the floor. "Do you have a minute, Sis? I kinda need to talk to you," he asked.

Nabiki said, "Sure, come on in. I can exercise while you talk. I've never had a problem with multi-tasking."

Ranma walked in with a puzzled look on his face, and asked, "Multi-whozit?"

Nabiki laughed, and replied, "Multi-tasking. It's just a fancy word for doing more than one thing at the same time."

Ranma's face cleared up. He hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Nabiki, there have been a bunch of horrible rumors being spread about Ukyo, and I was…"

Nabiki's face closed down and her eyes went cold. "And you wanted to know if I was responsible for them," she said icily.

Ranma looked surprised for a second and then replied, "Of course not. You wouldn't do anything that hurtful to anyone in the family. I just wanted you to find out who was telling all the tales out of school and see if we can get them stopped, is all."

Nabiki had the decency to look ashamed of herself and replied, "Sorry, Ranma. I guess if jumping to conclusions was an Olympic sport, I would have just got the gold."

"Nah, just the bronze," Ranma shot back, his eyes dancing with glee.

Nabiki snorted in amusement and replied, "Bronze, huh. I wouldn't settle for anything that low and you know it, little brother." Then she sobered up and said, half in question, "Ukyo is really taking it bad, I take it."

"Yeah, it really hurt her feelings. And a lot of the kids that she thought were her friends aren't acting too friendly toward her anymore. And you should hear what some of the boys are saying about her," Ranma said.

"Sure, I'll look into it for you," Nabiki replied, "I'll even give you the family discount."

Ranma chuckled and replied, "That's awfully nice of you, sis."

"What? You don't think I can be nice," Nabiki replied, sardonically, "I'm hurt."

Ranma grinned back at her and said, "Sure you can, sis."

"Seriously, you're right. She's not just family, she's a friend. I'll see what I can find out, and try to put a stop to it," Nabiki replied.

"You're the best, Nabiki," Ranma said. He walked over and kissed her forehead briefly, and then added, "Mousse is a lucky guy. I'm glad you two found each other." He turned and walked out of the room, leaving Nabiki shaking her head.

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading this story. As you can see, there's still chapters coming, albeit slowly. The real world sometimes gets in the way of writing, unfortunately. As always, comments and suggestions are welcomed and encouraged. Specific comments are below:

Lord Strife: I kind of wanted Soun and Hinako to have a mature relationship, after all, he really shouldn't be driven by his hormones at his age, right? VBG Just having Genma grow up away from the influence of Happosai would be an improvement in his moral fiber.

SilverBullet23: There are other people that Ranma can work with. Taro will be around for example, and there are still other opponents/challenges that he will face. I just don't like Happosai, that's why he never sticks around long in my stories.

Sean Malloy-1: Well here's the next chapter, they will be coming out slowly. And Kasumi getting pregnant is certainly a possibility.

Jerry Unipeg: Thanks. That's where I was heading with both of those arcs.

A: That's a good idea. The Hibikis do need to show up sometime. As to Genma, I was basically trying to paint him as a coward, and a thief, with a major vindictive streak in him. I didn't intend for him to come across as completely evil, though. I think that's pretty close to canon.

Taxzombie: Thanks. I liked the way that scene came together. That's how I envisioned it from the beginning when I came up with that arc. Genko will have some phantom memories popping up periodically. I'm not sure how far I'll take this story, but it still has a lot of potential life in it, so there will be more.

Law-kun: I hadn't seen this done before so it looked like a 'unique' punishment for Genma. Though I had originally thought about Ranma and Akane raising her, but decided against it for a couple of reasons.

Dennisud: Thanks. I have some more ideas for this story, though I have to admit Second Time Around is easier to write. I also have a couple of other ideas for different stories that I need to start writing down as well. Kodachi will probably get cured, I actually kind of like her and if I remember the canon, she actually stopped chasing Ranma more or less, except for the black wedding dress at the wedding. It's kind of ironic that of the three, she was the sanest at the wedding.


	51. Hunters of Light and Darkness

Chapter 51 Hunters of Light and Shadow

Nabiki stared impassively at her two most trusted lieutenants, only the slight tapping of her forefingers together showing her impatience. "It's come to my attention that there are some rumors flying around the school about my friend Ukyo Hibiki," she began, "I want to find out who is starting them, and get them stopped."

"But boss, why is that so important?" one of them asked.

Nabiki sighed as she replied, "I told you, she's my friend. Almost family in fact. And nobody hurts my family. I thought you knew that already."

The two girls stared at Nabiki in surprise. 'The Ice Queen actually is human,' one of them thought. They nodded their heads and went off to investigate the rumors.

Nabiki gazed off into the distance, her eyes surprisingly soft, as she pondered what to do when she found out who the culprit was. 'Who could dislike Ukyo that much?' Nabiki thought, 'There's nobody that I can think of.' Her eyes narrowed then, and her face got surprisingly grim. 'But when I find out, that person's dead,' she thought.

* * *

Ranma wandered over to where two of the boys from his homeroom were standing while watching the girls play softball. "Hey, Hiroshi, Daisuke," he said in greeting. Then he smiled and asked, "Enjoying the view?" 

Hiroshi jumped back in alarm, and then relaxed as he saw Ranma smiling. "Uh, hi Ranma," Hiroshi answered, "Yeah, I guess we do. The girls are just so hot looking."

"Just keep your eyes off of Akane, she's taken," Ranma said, only half-kidding.

Daisuke gulped and replied, "Actually, I was kinda watching Sayuri. I really think she's pretty."

Ranma chuckled lightly and asked, "Then why don't you ask her out? She might surprise you and say yes."

"You think so?" Daisuke asked, hopefully, his eyes lighting up.

Ranma shrugged his shoulders and replied, "You never know." He smiled slightly as he saw his wife walk over to join Ukyo, bringing Yuka and Sayuri with her. 'Good for you, Acchan,' he thought, 'Ukyo needs all the friends she can get.' Then his expression darkened as he turned to the two boys and asked, "Who's been spreading those rumours about my sister?"

"Sister, what sister?" Hiroshi asked. Daisuke frowned in confusion.

"I consider Ucchan to be my sister," Ranma explained.

"Er, uh, we haven't really heard anything," Hiroshi said lamely.

Ranma's eyes narrowed as he said, "Oh, really?"

Daisuke gulped and answered, "It was some of the guys from the kendo club. I overheard them talking trash about her the other day. Seems like the guy who took Kuno's place as leader was angry with her."

"Oh yeah, that's right. I think I remember that Ukyo blew him off when she first started coming to school. He came on to her and she flat turned him down. Wasn't very nice about it, either," Hiroshi added.

Ranma smiled thinly and said, "Thanks." He turned to leave and then said, "Hiroshi, you might want to talk to Yuka. I think she might like you a little."

"Why do consider Ukyo to be your sister?" Daisuke asked.

Ranma growled, "After all of the crap that her father and mine put her through, and the rough life she's led because of it, I owe her that."

"Ranma, what do you mean by that?" Hiroshi asked.

"I first met Ukyo when I was six. Pop and I were beginning our training trip, and Ukyo's dad had a yatai where he sold okonomiyakis. I used to have a game where if I beat Ukyo sparring, he would feed me. I got pretty good at it, in fact, I don't remember if Ukyo ever won. Anyway, I thought Ukyo was a guy, just like me and we got to be pretty good friends. After several months though, Pop decided that it was getting time to leave. What I didn't know is that he had promised Mr. Kuonji that he would take Ukyo with us and that we would one day wed. Kuonji gave Pop the yatai as a dowry. Well, Pop basically ran off with the yatai, with me perched on the back, and left Ukyo in the dirt."

"Man, that's low," Daisuke said.

"Yeah, how could anyone be that mean?" Hiroshi asked, his face grim.

Ranma shrugged his shoulders and replied, "That's Pop for you. About the only thing he thinks about is stuffing his stomach with food and drink, and martial arts. Anyway, when Ukyo showed up, I found out that she had swore to track us down and either force me to honor Pop's agreement, or kill us. She had spent most of the last ten years learning her family's martial arts, and then searching for us. Not a pleasant way to live. When we met, she found out that I was already promised to several women, thanks to my idiot Pop, and realized that I had nothing to do with what happened. She finally gave up on marrying me, mainly because she could tell I didn't love her, and couldn't bring herself to hurt me. She did find happiness with Ryoga, and I'm happy for her. When her father finally found out that she had found me and hadn't fulfilled her vow, he decided to disown her. I talked Mom into adopting her after that. Even though she's married, I still wanted her to know that she had a family that cared for her."

Hiroshi scowled and asked, "So what are you going to do about those bastards that are spreading tales? Are you gonna do something about her father?"

"Well, now that I know where the rumors are coming from, I do have a few ideas," Ranma said with a smirk, "I'll let Ryoga figure out what he wants to do with Kuonji. Thanks, guys. I'll see you later. Don't forget what I said about the girls, either."

* * *

As the boys of the kendo club entered their club room, they screeched to a halt, stumbling into each other. There, leaning against the far wall, they saw Saotome waiting for them with his arms crossed, a calm expression on his face. 

"Well, well, finally, the seven samurai decided to show up," Ranma sneered.

"What do you want, Saotome?" the largest of the boys asked.

Ranma sneered at them and replied, "I hear you've been spreading lies around school about one of my friends. I thought I would come by and ask you politely to stop."

"Why should we?" the boy asked.

"Cause I asked so nicely," Ranma responded, "Now, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. Your choice, but I really hope you pick the hard way. I'm really in the mood to hurt somebody."

"You don't scare me, you're just one person. Besides, why should you care about Kuonji, anyway?" another boy asked.

Ranma looked at him thoughtfully and replied, "True, I am just one person. And on the one hand, Ukyo really would hate for me to interfere in her business. She might think it was insulting her prowess as a martial artist. On the other hand, she's married to Ryoga, who's the only person that I really don't have to hold back much when I fight, so I probably should leave it to him." He smiled thinly for a brief second with a smile that never reached his eyes and then continued, "But on the gripping hand, she's family, and **no one** harms my family. Besides, it's better this way, I'll only **hurt** you."

The boy looked confused.

"Don't read much, do you?" Ranma asked. Then he shrugged his shoulders and straightened up away from the wall. A feral look appeared in his eyes as he cracked his knuckles. "Shall we dance?" he asked, a shark-like smile appearing on his face. He allowed his battle aura to shine around him, causing a large blue glow to surround him.

* * *

"WHERE AM I NOW?" 

Ranma jerked his head around at the familiar cry. "Ryoga?" he asked, and then blinked in astonishment. Ryoga was nowhere in sight. However, at the sound of his cry, a middle-aged woman turned her head.

"Excuse me, do you know my son?" the woman asked hopefully.

"Mrs. Hibiki?" Ranma asked in surprise as he walked over to the older woman.

Mrs. Hibiki nodded her head and asked, "Do I know you?"

Ranma smiled and said, "Yes, you do. I used to walk Ryoga to school in back when we were in junior high together. I'm Ranma Saotome. I can take you to him if you'd like. Ryoga lives close by so why don't I take you to see him and we can talk on the way."

"First, though, what happened here?" Mrs. Hibiki asked, as she gazed around the room and saw all of the bruised and battered wanna-be samurais scattered in what appeared to be very painful poses.

"Let's just say I was explaining why it is a bad thing to spread lies about people," Ranma said, sheepishly, "These people were lying about a very good friend of mine and hurt her feelings badly."

"I see. So do you think they learned their lesson?" she asked.

Ranma shrugged and replied, "Well, they are slow learners." He waited for a moment as he walked around checking on the students. "Well, enough of that. Are you ready for me to take you to see your son?" he asked.

Mrs. Hibiki smiled happily and said, "That would be very nice, Ranma. Thank you very much."

Ranma held out his arm and said, "Well, hold on then, and I'll take you there."

Mrs. Hibiki took his arm and the two of them headed down the street towards the restaurant. "Ryoga will be very happy to see you," Ranma began, "I'm sure he can't wait."

"How's he been? It's been two years or more since I've seen him, and I can't remember the last postcard that I've gotten," she asked.

Ranma replied, "He's doing pretty good now. I think you'll find that he's a lot happier than he's been in a long time."

"That's wonderful. I've missed him so much and lost out on a large part of his life because of our family curse," Mrs. Hibiki confided.

Just as they turned the corner onto the street which contained Ucchan's, Ranma got splashed by a woman cleaning her sidewalk. Ranma grimaced as he felt the change occur. She turned and looked at the now taller woman, who was staring at her in shock.

"B-b-but," Mrs. Hibiki stammered.

Ranma sighed and said, resignedly, "It's a long story. I'll tell you about it later, but we're nearly to Ucchan's."

"What's Ucchan's?" she asked, her eyes big.

"It's a local restaurant. Ryoga lives there," Ranma replied. She opened the door to the restaurant and ushered Mrs. Hibiki in. There they saw Shampoo working the counter. "Hi, Shampoo, when did you get in?" Ranma asked.

"Nihao, Ranma, Taro and I got back early this morning. Ryoga had called your mom asking if she could come over and help, but I volunteered," Shampoo replied, "I., uh, had to get out of there after meeting Genko. That was just a bit too weird. Taro headed off to the local college to see if he could enroll.

Shampoo smiled as she saw that Ranma was walking in with another woman. "Who's she? Not another fiancée?" she asked, with an evil grin, "She looks a bit too old for you."

Ranma grinned wryly and replied, "No, she's Ryoga's mother. Mrs. Hibiki, this is Shampoo, she's a friend, and kind of an adopted sister. Where's Ryoga?"

"Nice meeting you, Mrs. Hibiki. Ryoga is upstairs with Ukyo. She was feeling a little sick this morning," Shampoo replied.

"Oh, okay. I'll take her to see them," Ranma said. Ranma took Mrs. Hibiki by the arm again, and led her upstairs. Once they reached the top, Ranma knocked politely on the closed door to the apartment.

Shortly, the door opened and a slightly wan looking Ryoga appeared. His eyes widened as he recognized the woman standing there with Ranma.

Mrs. Hibiki gasped and rushed across the small space separating them and hugged her son, crushing him to her chest.

"Uh, Mrs. Hibiki, er, you might want to let go, he's turning an interesting shade of blue there," Ranma said after a few seconds.

The older woman blushed and let go of her son who collapsed to the floor, wheezing. Ranma helped him up and then took them both into the apartment and pushed them onto the couch. "You two stay here and get caught up," Ranma said, "I'm gonna go change and then talk to Ukyo."

Ranma walked into the bathroom and then several minutes later, he came out, a bit wetter, but now male. He smiled briefly at the two sitting on the couch, talking animatedly and then knocked on the door to the bedroom. After he heard Ukyo say, "Come in," he opened the door and walked in. "How are you feeling, Ucchan?" he asked, "Shampoo said you were feeling a little ill."

Ukyo smiled wanly and then replied, "I'm not sure why they call it morning sickness, Ranchan."

"Sis, there's someone here you need to meet. I ran into Ryoga's mom and brought her by," Ranma began.

"She's here!" Ukyo exclaimed in panic, "Oh my, oh my."

"Calm down, you'll be fine," Ranma said. Then he leaned in and said, softly, "I took care of the guys that were spreading those rumors about you today, Sis. You shouldn't have any more problems with them. And Nabiki is tracking down the girls that have been smearing you two also."

Ukyo frowned slightly, and then whispered, "Thanks, Ranchan. You didn't have to do that for me."

"Sure I did, that's what family is for," Ranma said forcefully.

"Well, okay then, but get out of here so I can get dressed. Mrs. Hibiki needs to see me in something other than my uniform," Ukyo said.

Ranma grinned cheekily and replied, "I think she'd like you no matter what you were wearing."

"Get!" she said.

Ranma backed out of the room and closed the door. "Ukyo will be right out, Ryoga," he said with a grin.

"Ranma, tell me about what happened on the way here," Mrs. Hibiki demanded.

Ranma replied, "I went on a training trip to China with Pop. While I was there, I managed to fall into one of the cursed springs at Jusenkyo. Now, when I get splashed with cold water, I turn into a girl. Hot water brings me back." 'I really need to get Nabiki to make me up some brochures. This is getting old. Nah, she'd charge too much,' he thought. "How much have you told her, Ryoga?" Ranma asked.

"I was about to get to the important stuff. I was kinda waiting on Ukyo, though," Ryoga said.

"Well, you can stop waiting," Ukyo said as she entered the living room.

"Mom, uh, well, the thing is, this is my wife, Ukyo," Ryoga began.

"Wife!" she exclaimed.

"Uh, yes, we've been married for a few weeks now," Ryoga said.

Mrs. Hibiki looked at Ukyo, who began to tremble. Then she smiled and said, "Well, she's certainly pretty enough, and if the name is anything to go by, she must be running this restaurant, so she's definitely got a good head for business on her shoulders," Mrs. Hibiki said, "I'm pleased to meet you dear. Please call me Mom." Mrs. Hibiki stood up and walked over to Ukyo and hugged her.

"Er, uh, Mom, there's a bit more. Uh, you see, well, you're gonna be a grandmother," Ryoga stammered.

Mrs. Hibiki's smile got bigger. "That's wonderful, children. How far along are you, dear?"

"A few weeks," Ukyo admitted.

"They've been engaged for several months, and Ryoga has been helping my sister here in the restaurant for even longer," Ranma interjected, hoping to sidetrack the explosion he thought he was about to see.

Mrs. Hibiki let out a breath she wasn't even aware that she had been holding and giggled. "Were you afraid that I would be mad because I'm going to be a grandmother?" she asked.

"Uh, the thought had crossed my mind," Ryoga admitted. Then he squared his shoulders and asked, "Ranma, could you get some water, please?"

Mrs. Hibiki gasped. "You too?" she asked.

Ranma brought over two cups of water. Ryoga took one and poured it over his head. Suddenly, in front of Mrs. Hibiki, her son transformed into a very attractive, well-built, brown-haired girl.

"It could be worse, Mom. I used to turn into a pig," Ryoga said.

His mother collapsed into Ukyo's arms, her face ashen. "I love him either way, Mom," Ukyo said softly, "He means so much to me."

Ranma handed the other glass to Ryoga and then walked over to where he knew Ukyo kept her saké and poured a cup and brought it to Mrs. Hibiki. The older woman slammed it back and the color came back into her face. Meanwhile, Ryoga had changed back.

"Any more surprises?" Mrs. Hibiki asked.

Ranma chuckled and said, "Well, there's one thing that I haven't told you. I'm happily married as well."

"And she knows about your change?" Mrs. Hibiki asked.

"Of course. She knows and doesn't care," Ranma replied. He looked at the clock on the wall, and said, "I'd better run. Akane is cooking tonight and she won't like it if I'm late. I'll bring her by tomorrow after school and introduce you to her. See you at school, sis." He leaned over and kissed Ukyo on the cheek and started walking toward the door.

"Hey, quit making moves on my wife," Ryoga said with a laugh.

"Later, Ryoga," Ranma said as he went through the door.

"Let's go downstairs and get something to eat," Ryoga suggested, "And then the three of us can get better acquainted."

* * *

A hooded figure stood watching the sun set overlooking a small town on the island of Okinawa. A noise alerted him to the return of his retainers. "Well?" he said in a soft voice. 

"I'm sorry, Lord. We have lost the thief. She was visited by two women, and then next morning vanished from the hotel," one of the retainers stammered.

"What can you tell me about the women?" the figure demanded.

"Only that one of them was named Saotome," the other retainer replied.

There was silence for several minutes. Then the figure said, "Find out where she went. Do not fail me!"

"Yes, Lord," the two retainers replied in unison as they bowed to their lord and master.

* * *

Author's Notes: Finally, another chapter posted. Thanks for your continuing interest in this story. As always, reviews and constructive criticisms are welcomed. Comments to specific reviews are below: 

Bobboky: Thank you. I wanted to show some teenage angst. High school can be a bit cruel.

Viper: Yes. I figured after several thousand years there would have been a little bit of a drift in knowledge of their real names. As far as the Soun/Hinako relationship, I want that to go a bit slowly. That will give the girls a chance to get used to it.

A.Nonymous: If you've read to the end, you can see that I had a different ending in mind for Genma/Genko. And regressing her to five or six allows Nodoka to raise the child that she never had, that her husband took away from her at age six.

Shinigami: Thanks. Well, at least as far as the rumors are concerned, you can see how Ranma took care of the guys that were giving Ukyo a hard time. Next chapter will show Nabiki and her vengeance on the girls. There is a distinct chance that Kodachi will reappear. Having Saint Happi meet Genko, now there's an interesting idea. I may steal that one.

Neon-Ronin: Thank you for the kind words. I have tried to keep this story a little different, with some amusing twists and turns. The alternate pairings struck me as the way things could have gone. And yes, I like to throw in the occasional reference. As to Nodoka Himura, well, were do you think the red hair came from? At least in my universe anyway. I think your story is good. Definitely a different take on the cursed springs.

Lord Strife: Nope, that's not a good thing. I always thought that if Nabiki and Ranma ever teamed up for vengeance that it would be a scary sight indeed.

JohnnyG: So long as I can think of things to do with the story, it will continue. As you can see from this chapter, I've introduced a couple of new characters.

Nonengel: What can I say? I have a warped imagination. But I thought it would be appropriate for Genko to replace the son that Nodoka had lost and allow her to raise a child.

SilverBullet23: Thanks. I always thought that Happosai and Principal Kuno were two of the worst characters in the Ranmaverse.

The Shadows: Yes, High School for a teenage mother can be a bit cruel. And as to Ranma and Akane defending Ukyo, I think both of them have a strong sense of protecting the family, and by any definition, Ukyo is family to them. Your H/P story is excellent, keep those chapters coming.

Dennisud: I do intend to bring Kodachi back in a later chapter. I'm not exactly sure who (if any) she ends up with though at the moment.


	52. Of Shogi, Dojos and Checkers

Chapter 52 Of Shogi, Dojo, and Checkers

Nodoka knocked on the door to the Tendo home, her face not showing her anxiety. Even though Ranma had reported his conversation with Soun, this was the first time that Soun was going to meet her former husband, now daughter, and she wasn't really sure that she was ready for his reaction. She almost turned to walk away from the door, when it suddenly became too late.

Soun stood at the open doorway, his mouth agape in surprise. "Good morning, Nodoka," he said, finally. Then he knelt down and stammered, "Good morning to you as well, Genko."

"Hello, Soun," Nodoka replied. She looked down at her daughter and said, "This is Soun Tendo. He's Akane's father."

"Hello, Mr. Tendo," Genko said shyly, from where she was half-hiding behind her mother.

"Come in, please," Soun said, "I'm the only one here right now, of course, since Ranma and the girls are at school, and Tofu is at the clinic."

"How is Kasumi doing at college?" Nodoka asked.

Soun said proudly, "She's doing very well. I know she was worried after being out of high school for a couple of years that she wouldn't be able to handle the workload, but it hasn't been too bad."

The three of them walked through the house and entered the family room, where the newspaper dropped messily on the floor indicated that Soun had been interrupted during his reading. "There should be some tea in the kitchen," Soun offered.

"That would be nice," Nodoka replied.

"Wait here while I go get us some, then," Soun suggested, the tone of his voice showing that he was going to play the host.

Nodoka merely smiled as Soun entered the kitchen. She then sank gracefully to the floor, moving her ever present bundle to one side.

Genko amused herself by glancing around the family room, waiting for Mr. Tendo to return from the kitchen with the tea. Her eyes lit up when she saw the shogi board sitting on the floor by the sliding door that gave access to the outside. She got up from where she had been sitting next to her mother and walked over to the board.

"Shogi!" she squealed happily as she sat down next to the board.

Soun had just walked in carrying a tray. He exchanged a startled look with Nodoka and asked, "Do you know how to play?"

The young girl nodded her head happily. "Can we play a game, Uncle Soun?" the little girl asked, her eyes bright.

"Sure, I'd love to," Soun answered as he set the tray down on the table and walked over to the board to join her. He sat down across from her and the two began to play.

Nodoka poured tea for the three of them and handed a cup to Soun. To their surprise they heard the clack of a piece being added to the board.

Soun looked back quickly to see the little girl's hand coming back from where she had surreptitiously placed a piece.

The two adults watched in awe as Genko played an excellent game of shogi, using many of the techniques that Genma had been famous for. Finally, Soun could stand no more, and he broke down crying, fleeing the family room.

Genko looked stricken and turned to her mother. "Mommy, did I do something wrong?" she asked, obviously concerned.

"No dear, you just reminded Uncle Soun of someone who used to play shogi with him is all. He misses his friend very much," Nodoka replied, "You did nothing wrong. I think he'll be all right in a little while. Playing a game with you was good for him."

"Your mother is right," a shaky voice from the door interrupted.

They turned to see Soun leaning against the doorframe, his face still distraught, but somehow, also looking happier.

"I miss my old friend and training partner, Gen-ko, but seeing you play has helped me more than I can tell you," Soun said.

"Is that why you are so sad? You look lonely," Genko said artlessly.

"I suppose I am a bit lonely during the day. All of my daughters are off at school at least part of the day now, so I rattle around the house by myself," Soun replied, "Though, I do practice in the dojo in the morning, and then have two classes that I teach in the afternoon."

* * *

Ryoga, Mrs. Hibiki and Ukyo were gathered around the table in the living room eating their evening meal. While they were eating, the three watched the local newscast on the television that Mrs. Hibiki had just bought for them as a wedding present. 

Interrupting their conversation, they heard the anchorwoman say, "In our 'People Search' segment tonight, we have an individual looking for her master." On the screen appeared a picture of an odd looking dog, one half of her body white, the other half jet-black.

"Checkers Hibiki, a four-year old female is here in our studio," the anchorwoman continued.

Checkers raised her paw in greeting and barked.

"That is Checkers!" Ryoga exclaimed.

"She'd like her master to come home and see her new puppies," the woman's voice said over the hubbub in the apartment. On the screen, Checkers was holding a small puppy, with similar markings.

"What a cute puppy!" Ukyo exclaimed, "I wish I could hold one!"

Ryoga turned to her and said, "So she had puppies. I guess I have been away for a long time. We need to go see her."

Ukyo smiled and said, "We can go there tomorrow. Do you know how to get home?"

"Yes, I have this map," Ryoga said. He handed her a map, showing a picture of Mount Fuji, and drawn in below, a picture of a house, with the legend 'Around here.'

"Uh, Ryoga-honey, this doesn't really help," Ukyo said carefully.

"You mean I can't get home?" Ryoga asked, panicked.

Mrs. Hibiki replied, "I'm not sure how to get there from here, either, Ukyo."

Ukyo said, "Leave it to me, I know how we can get you to your house. All I need is your address."

"Oh, I have that," Mrs. Hibiki said, as she began to rummage in her purse. Finally, with an air of satisfaction, she pulled a piece of paper out of the depths and handed it to Ukyo.

Ukyo glanced down and smiled, saying, "This should do. Just leave everything to me."

* * *

Ukyo heard the door to her restaurant open and a man walked in. He asked, "Did someone call for a cab at this address?" 

"Yes, I did," Ukyo replied, "We'll be right there." She finished wiping down her grill, and walked upstairs to get her husband and her mother-in-law. To her complete surprise, and great pleasure, she found that she liked her new mother-in-law, and it was obvious that Mrs. Hibiki approved of her also. In fact, the older woman was definitely looking forward to being a grandmother, and had already managed to help convert what used to be the storage space on the second floor into several comfortable rooms, one of which was intended to be a nursery, and the other a guest room for her.

"Hey," Ukyo said, "the driver is here. Are you two ready?"

Ryoga looked up from the futon where he was sitting, and nodded. He picked up his mothers backpack, and then helped his mother to her feet. The two of them carefully followed Ukyo downstairs, and out the door, where they stood waiting for Ukyo to lock up the restaurant. Impatiently, the taxi driver honked his horn, but Ukyo just looked at him in annoyance, and helped the directionally challenged pair into the cab.

She entered after Ryoga, and handed the driver an address. "I don't know what your problem is? The meter is running, after all."

"Sorry, miss," the driver said sheepishly, as he smoothly pulled away from the curb and headed toward their destination.

Fifteen minutes later, the Hibikis began to get excited as they recognized the surroundings. The cab pulled smoothly up to a modest, two story home, surrounded by a high wall, that was pierced by an ornate wooden gate. On the gate, they could read the name, 'Hibiki.' The three of them exited the cab, with Ryoga handing the cab driver the fare, with a small tip included.

The three stood there for a second, as the cab drove off, and then with a deep breath, Ryoga pushed open the gate and walked up the pathway toward the house. He had gotten about half-way up the graveled path, when a strange-looking dog, one side white and the other side black, came running from around the corner. Ryoga dropped to his knees as the dog jumped up to lick his face. "Checkers!" Ryoga exclaimed, "I've missed you, girl."

Reluctantly, Ukyo walked over to the pair, loathe to break up the happy tableau, with Mrs. Hibiki following close behind.

"Checkers, this is my wife Ukyo," Ryoga said, "I'll want you to take good care of her."

"Hello, Checkers," Ukyo said in greeting, as the dog sniffed her hand, and then broke into a tail-waving frenzy as she licked the hand in welcome.

"She's how we always used to be able to get places. We would hold onto her leash, and she would take us to the store, or wherever, and then bring us home. And when one of us would get lost, she would come find us," Mrs. Hibiki said softly, "But when Ryoga disappeared this last time, his father and I went hunting for him. We were so worried when he didn't show up from the match he was supposed to have with Ranma that we panicked and forgot to take her with us."

The dog led them up to the front door, where Mrs. Hibiki pulled out an ornate key and unlocked the door. "Welcome to our home, dear," Mrs. Hibiki said as she walked in, followed closely by Ryoga, Ukyo and Checkers. There was a slight musty smell, not really unpleasant, but more one that indicated a long vacancy. On a small table in the main entry, there was a bright, white, envelope.

Ryoga picked up the envelope and saw that it was addressed to him and his mother. Opening it, he pulled out a letter, written by hand, in a large scrawl.

"It's from Dad," Ryoga said as he quickly scanned the letter, "It's dated about a month ago. He says he'll try to get back next week to see if anyone is here."

"Why don't you show Ukyo around and open some of the windows to help air out the place," his mother suggested.

Ryoga shrugged his shoulders in acquiescence, and said, "Okay. Follow me, Ucchan." He headed down the hall, and stopped at the first room. "This is the family room," he said, as he opened the door, showing what appeared to be a large, comfortable, bedroom. "Uh, I mean, this is my parents' room," he said, embarrassed. He walked to the next door, and said, "This must be the family room."

"Uh, Ryoga, dear, I think that's the kitchen," Ukyo said, hiding a smile. She walked over to him and said, "Let's just wander around." She led him down the hall, discovering, finally, the family room, a door that led into the backyard, another door that opened up into the furoba, and then finally, discovered the staircase. She walked up the stairs to find several rooms opening off the second floor hall.

"My bedroom is up here," Ryoga said, "It should be the first room on the right." To his pleasure, when he walked into the room, he discovered that he was indeed correct, as the clothing in the closet, and the belongings scattered across the desk proved.

Ukyo smiled as she walked into the pleasantly appointed room. A large, western style bed was shoved against one wall, with a desk next to it. Above the desk, a large window showed the heavily overgrown backyard. Toward one end of the yard, she could make out a small koi pond, whose placid waters reflected back the evening sky. Occasionally, she could see a small, circular ripple appear in the smooth surface, indicating that the pond was still occupied by the ornate fish.

"This is a nice room, Ryoga. I hope it brings back lots of happy memories," Ukyo said, "In fact, the whole house looks nice."

"Thanks, Ucchan. I didn't get to spend as much time as I liked in it once I turned twelve. That's when my curse showed up. Apparently it's tied to when I hit puberty," Ryoga replied, "But up until then, I was happy here."

"You've never told me, what does your father do, Ryoga-honey?" Ukyo asked, as she sat down on the bed.

"Oh, it's funny. He writes travel guides for one of the magazines, describing what he sees in all of his wandering around," Ryoga replied, "That and then there is a large family trust that does investing for him. That sees to the upkeep of the house, and paying the bills, that kind of thing. Though it looks like they forgot to get someone to take care of the backyard, looking at the size of some of those bushes."

* * *

"We're home," Akane sang as she slipped off her outdoor shoes, and walked into the family room. Ranma and Nabiki followed her, and ran into her as she stopped suddenly. Through the open door to the outside, they watched as Soun sat by the koi pond talking to Nodoka and Genko. Genko was watching the koi swim, lazily tossing small pieces of bread into the water. 

Nodoka turned and smiled at the three young adults. "Hello, dears. How was school today?" she asked.

Genko turned and saw her brother. The next thing Ranma knew, he was being tackled around the knees by a laughing little girl. "Ranma," she shrieked as she hugged her brother.

"So how was your day, little one?" Ranma asked, his hand tightly held by his wife. He hoped he was doing a good job hiding his uneasiness about seeing his transformed father with Soun, and he wondered exactly how well Soun was really handling what had happened.

"I had fun. Uncle Soun played shogi with me, and then he took me out to the dojo and showed me a kata," Genko lisped, "Mommy says that next week I can start going to school."

Ranma looked over at his mother and she nodded. "She is six, after all, so she should be in school. It took a little work, but I was able to convince the principal at the elementary school by my home that he could make room for her," Nodoka said. She turned to Nabiki and added, "Thank you for helping with all of the paperwork, dear. That really helped."

Nabiki blushed at the praise, and replied, "It was nothing, Auntie. I was happy to help. I just had to talk to a couple of people I knew down at the city hall, and they took care of most of it."

"Well, still, you knew who to contact," Nodoka said.

Akane nudged Ranma and said, "Don't forget, we have practice. We need to go change into our gi's."

"Sure," Ranma said as he gently unwound the little girl. "I have to go get ready," Ranma said.

"Can I watch?" Genko asked.

Ranma traded looks with Akane, who shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see why not. You'll need to stay by the door though so you'll be out of the way," Ranma said. He turned to Akane and said, "Go on up, I need to stop by the kitchen first and then I'll join you." He left for the kitchen, while Akane headed out the door towards the stairs.

A few minutes later, Akane came down, dressed in her gi. Her hair was slightly mussed, and her lips were a little puffy. Ranma was right behind her, also dressed in a gi, and also female.

"That took a bit longer than I expected," Nodoka said, with a twinkle in her eye, "What took you two so long to change?"

Akane blushed, joined quickly by Ranma. "N-nothing," Ranma stammered.

Nabiki snickered and then drawled, "Nothing, huh. Well, I've got some homework to do, so I guess I better get to it."

Akane grinned and asked, "That homework wouldn't have anything to do with a certain Chinese martial artist, now would it?"

Now it was Nabiki's turn to blush as she escaped to the sanctuary of her bedroom.

Ranma and Akane headed toward the dojo, closely followed by the little girl, who's eyes had grown huge when she saw her brother, now turned into her sister.

The two older girls entered the dojo, and bowed with respect to the shrine of Akane's mother. The two girls separated, and Ranma started off on a simple kata. Akane watched for a moment, and then joined in once she recognized the steps.

Genko watched closely, her eager eyes drinking in every motion that Ranma was making. Slowly she began to attempt to copy what she was seeing, clumsily at first, but then as her confidence grew and she lost herself in the movement, moving fluidly from position to position.

Nodoka and Soun watched from the kitchen, their expressions showing their bemusement. "Looks like she remembers some of what she learned as a child," Nodoka said softly.

"Yes, it certainly does. I wonder how much of the art is ingrained in her as simply automatic," Soun said, "If she is just allowing her body to perform the kata without consciously thinking about it, that might explain how she is able to do it in spite of the memory blockage."

Nodoka looked thoughtful for a moment, and then replied, "I think that might be it. It looks like you may have gained a new student."

* * *

Taro strode arrogantly through the grounds of the local college, heading for the Admissions Office, where Nabiki had arranged for his enrollment. He was still amazed at how easily she had managed to coerce the college to overlook his somewhat spotty educational record. After all, it was a little difficult to go to school in China, when he changed into a flying minotaur. 'It's a good thing I'm as smart as I am,' he thought, his mouth curled up in a slight sneer, 'and that Mother allowed me to read as much as she did.' As always, when he thought of his mother, he felt the pang in his heart because of her death. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a scuffle coming from one of the narrow passageways between two of the ancient buildings forming this quadrangle. His curiosity aroused, Taro turned down the passage to see, to his shock, Kasumi Tendo facing off against several young men. Roaring in anger, Taro charged them from behind, scattering the men like tenpins. 

"You all right Kasumi?" Taro asked as he turned to face the heavily bruised men, dropping his backpack on the ground in front of him.

"Oh my, where did you come from Taro? I didn't even know that you two were back from China," Kasumi replied, "And yes, I'm fine. I was lost in my own thoughts and didn't pay attention to where I was walking, I guess, and then these nice young men came to assist me."

"Assist you? That didn't look like assistance to me," Taro growled.

"Well, they said something about showing me a good time," Kasumi replied.

"Yeah, why don't you run along and leave us," one of the men snarled as he climbed to his feet, "We were just getting acquainted with the lady."

"The lady and her husband are friends of mine," Taro snarled, "And I don't think either of them would enjoy you getting acquainted. Now why don't you run off before I have to take you apart?"

"Hah, there's only one of you, and three of us," the man said with a sneer. He motioned for the other two to charge.

Taro pulled a thermos from his pack and poured water over himself, transforming into his minotaur form. He then sprang into action, knocking all three of them out cold.

Kasumi pulled another thermos out of the backpack, and at the minotaur's nod, politely turned away and poured the contents of the thermos out onto his back. She heard the rustling of clothing as Taro quickly got dressed.

"Okay, it's safe now. Why don't you escort me to the Admin building so I can finish getting registered, and then I'll walk you home," Taro said.

"What do you want to do with these?" Kasumi asked.

"Just leave them there," Taro replied, "Someone will eventually find them, or they'll wake up on their own."

* * *

Tofu looked up as the door to his clinic burst open, and three men staggered inside, two of them supporting the third. They were bruised severely as if they had been thrown hard against an unyielding surface. 

Tofu said, "What happened to you three?"

"Uh, we were, uh, mugged," one of them, the brightest looking of the three, said.

"Well, take your friend into room one and I'll be right there," Tofu promised.

The two men dragged their friend into the indicated room, and laid him down on the examination table. Tofu followed them in, and quickly checked out the semi-conscious figure on the table.

"Hm, it looks like a pretty severe concussion, a couple of broken ribs, and these massive bruises," Tofu said, cataloguing all of the injuries, "We'll need to keep him awake. He shouldn't go to sleep with a concussion." He wrapped the man's chest, to support the ribs, and rubbed a special ointment onto all of the bruises. "There, that should take care of him," Tofu said with an air of accomplishment, "Which of you wants to get checked out next?"

"I'll go next," the leader said.

"Okay, let's go into the next room," Tofu said, as he led the man out of the room. Just as they were about to go in, the door to the clinic opened and Taro and Kasumi walked in.

"YOU!" Taro roared.

* * *

Author's Notes: Thank you for all of the reviews for this story. I'm glad to see people are still enjoying it. As always, reviews, and constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged. Specific comments are below: 

Drkjester: That's one of the things I'm still trying to work out, how to easily show elapsed time. Just saying the next day, or having a date or something tends to break of the flow of the narrative, at least IMNSHO, but I haven't given up on figuring out a good method.

Starjacker: All will come clear in time about the three figures from the previous chapter. As a clue, they aren't OC. We'll see what happens with Genko as she 'grows up'

Miroku's Chika: If you've read further, I guess you've figured out the pairings, well at least the ones that I have revealed so far. And yes, I'm a firm believer in Ranma and Akane as a couple, partly because that's what the author intended.

Shinigami: That's high school for you. It can be brutal, especially when there's a teenage pregnancy involved.

AriesNoShion: The dialogue, especially Ranma's and Shampoo's was supposed to be showing how uncultured they were. Over time, of course, they would have learned to speak Japanese better and that's why it improved. Unfortunately, I had a tendency, especially early on, to go overboard. As far as making him a descendent of Kenshin Himura, I figured why not, after all the red hair has to come from somewhere, right? VBG By the way, I think you may have been the first person to pick up the reference to the Kamiya dojo, or at least the first to comment on it. Well done. I like to drop little snippets like that in my story just to keep it a bit different than others. And yes, to answer the question, the woman running the dojo would have been a relative, why do you think Genma didn't like her much?

Sean Malloy-1: Thanks. Probably won't show much of a scene if I do about Ukyo going into labor. Just the after effects, I suspect.

Dragon Man 180: I'll try to show more about the other couples. The problem is they haven't told me what they are doing yet. The whole big happy family just kind of came together.

JohnnyG: When and if inspiration for this story finally ends, I definitely will write some sort of final chapter for it. I don't like it when a story I'm reading just quits either, so I will do my best not to fall into that trap. As to the new characters, it will be more of Genma's chickens coming home to roost, so things should get lively.

Law-kun: That would be telling, now wouldn't it? As to the Hibiki family showing up, I agree, it's a shame that they don't get used that much. I just had to come up with a good way to use them.

Nonengel: It has been a while. This story isn't as easy to write as my other one, so it tends to lag a bit. And yes, I haven't seen many stories with her in them.

Neon-ronin: The hooded figure will show up soon, but they do have a lot of Japan to cover before they can. And yes, it was one last bit of stupidity on Genma's part.

Wonderbee31: Nabiki is still working on her investigations. And I think she's going to be doing something about Ukyo's father too. As to the direction curse, since it never said (that I can recall anyway) when it started, I opted to make it puberty dependent.

Innortal: Thank you. I guess I've taken care of the direction curse, at least for a few years.


	53. Information Gathering

Chapter 53 Information Gathering

"Oh my, hello again," Kasumi said.

Tofu asked, "What's the matter, Taro?"

"This guy was with two others bothering Kasumi at the college. If I hadn't stumbled on them, I'm not sure what might have happened," Taro replied.

"It wasn't what it looked like," the man stammered, "We were just inviting her to a party."

"I'm supposed to believe that?" Taro asked, "What kind of fool do you take me for?"

Tofu began to grow angry only to see Kasumi walk over and hold his arm. "Husband, let them go please. They truly did no harm, and Taro has punished them severely enough," Kasumi asked.

Tofu glanced at the young man standing next to him, and said, "It looks like you came to the wrong place for treatment. Take your friends and get out of here before I lose my temper."

The young man gulped and fled out the door, leaving his two friends behind.

"I think you scared him, dear," Kasumi said, her eyes dancing with mirth.

Tofu grinned at her and said, "Since nothing happened thanks to Taro, I really wouldn't have done anything to him. But he didn't need to know that." He walked back into the exam room, and suddenly two men came stumbling out. They blanched as they saw Taro and edged around him and out the door.

Kasumi asked, "How's married life?"

Taro grinned and said, "It's better than I thought it would be, Kasumi. Shampoo is amazing, and very, very affectionate."

"Why don't you two come by the house for dinner, and you can tell us all about the wedding?" Tofu suggested.

Taro replied, "That works for me. I'll ask Shampoo, but if you don't hear differently, we'll be there."

* * *

Ukyo smiled at her mother-in-law as she walked down the stairs at the Hibiki residence. "Good morning, Mom," Ukyo said. 

"Hello, daughter," Mrs. Hibiki replied, "Where's your husband?"

"He's sleeping still. Can I help you fix breakfast?" Ukyo asked.

Mrs. Hibiki smiled and said, "Of course, dear. That will also give us time to get to know each other better. I really want to know the girl who managed to steal my Ryoga's heart."

Ukyo blushed and said, "Well, there's really nothing special about me."

"Dearie, I find that hard to believe," Mrs. Hibiki replied, with a gentle smile, "It's not every girl who can own a restaurant at your age, and still stay in school. That takes great strength and determination."

Ukyo blushed even redder and said, softly, "Thank you for that. I'm glad you've been so accepting of us. Ryoga is real lucky having you for a mother."

Now it was her mother-in-law's turn to blush. "I just wish we didn't have this family curse. It kept us apart a lot once Ryoga turned twelve and it began affecting him. Before then, at least, I only had to worry about my wandering off and getting lost, but so long as I stayed in the house, Checkers and her mother would always keep us together," she replied.

"Why do you have the curse?" Ukyo asked, worried, "Is it going to affect me?"

Mrs. Hibiki chuckled and replied, "No, it only affects Hibikis. You married into the family; you weren't born into it."

"So you were a Hibiki before you married Ryoga's father?" Ukyo asked.

"Yes, my husband and I are cousins, we share the same great-grandparents," the older woman replied, "So poor Ryoga has the curse from both of us. It means he really has to be careful, or he can get lost walking between two rooms. So long as I have something to look at, I can get where I need to."

Ryoga came stumbling down the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. They lit up when he saw his wife standing there talking to his mother, and he rushed over to give her a good morning kiss.

After a few seconds, Ukyo pulled away, and said, "If you want more than that, you'll need to wait until after breakfast. We were just about to go into the kitchen and start cooking."

The three of them went into the kitchen, where the two women quickly began to prepare breakfast.

* * *

Nabiki finished reading the report that her chief aide had handed her at the beginning of the lunch period. "So it was Kaede Nimura who started the rumors about Ukyo. Wasn't she in the group of girls that ran around with tongues hanging out over the boys in the kendo club?" she mused, half to herself, as she digested what she had read. She looked at her aide and asked, "As far as I know, she barely knows Ukyo. What else were you able to find out about her?" 

"She has a boyfriend, who goes to another high school in the area. His father works for Kuonji Foods here in Tokyo," the girl replied.

"That must be the connection," Nabiki said. She rubbed her chin, pondering her next actions now that she knew where things started. "Bring her to me, I want to find out whose idea it was to blacken Ukyo's name," Nabiki said. She chuckled for a moment and then she smiled a sharklike grin and said, "From now on, she has no friends. Make sure everyone who is friendly with her knows that she has crossed me. And it wouldn't hurt to remind them that Ranma is Ukyo's brother by adoption, and that she's **MY **sister-in-law, because of that."

"Yes, Nabiki-san," the girl replied, "What should we do about her boyfriend?"

"If he doesn't go to school here, there's not much we can do right now," Nabiki said, "So leave him alone. Though, I wonder if we…" She grimaced and said, "No, I won't stoop that low, and besides it would cost too much to hire a kunoichi."

Nabiki waited and soon, her aide returned with a tall, slender girl, about her own age. There was a defiant look in her eyes as she arrived.

"Please join me, Kaede," Nabiki said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

The girl reluctantly sat down next to Nabiki.

"I suppose you're wondering why I asked you to speak to me," Nabiki said.

Kaede began to squirm under Nabiki's gaze. "Yeah, I guess so. It's not like I've done anything," Kaede replied.

"Well, it's come to my attention that someone has been spreading some ugly rumors about a dear friend of mine. Rumors without a shred of truth in them. Don't you hate when that happens?" Nabiki said.

Kaede began to pale.

"Ukyo Hibiki is a good friend of mine. In fact, she's more-or-less my sister-in-law," Nabiki said, coldly, "So that makes her family."

"I didn't know," Kaede stammered, "I was just doing a favor for my boyfriend's uncle. He told me to say those things."

"And why would he want you to do that?" Nabiki asked.

"I don't know, he didn't tell me, but he said it was more important than I knew to do it," the girl replied.

"Who is he?" Nabiki asked.

"Mr. Masumoto, the new manager of the local Kuonji Holding Company office here in Tokyo," Kaede replied.

"Well, isn't that interesting," Nabiki said. She thought for a moment and then said, "I think it might be in your best interest if you found a new school to go to. I think you'll find that this school will be much less friendly."

"Please, I beg you, don't do that!" Kaede said, tears beginning to fall, "My mother will be so mad at me if I have to find another school with just one more year to finish."

Nabiki said coldly, "You should have thought of that before you tried to hurt Ukyo. Why should I show you any mercy?"

"Haven't you ever done something stupid because you were in love?" Kaede wailed.

Nabiki narrowed her eyes and growled, "I'll think about it. Now get out of here."

Kaede quickly jumped up and fled the area.

"Leave her alone for now. She's given me something to think about," Nabiki said. 'So did Masumoto do this on his own, or was he told to by Ukyo's father,' Nabiki wondered, 'I need to find out before I tell any of this to Ukyo or Ryoga. There's no telling what he would do, and it would break Ukyo's heart even more if her father was involved.' Her eyes lit up and she asked, "How many restaurants in the area are owned or managed by Kuonji?"

"I don't know. I can find out," Shinobu replied.

"Just find out the names of the restaurants. Then I think it's time that we start a boycott. Pass the word around," Nabiki ordered, "I don't know how much that will hurt, but it's a start."

* * *

Nabiki walked out of the gate, lost in thought, as she pondered her next move. 'Why would Hojo have her start those rumors?' she wondered to herself, 'Since Kuonji has already dropped Ukyo from the clan roll, why would it matter? It doesn't make a lot of sense.' 

Suddenly, a hand came out of nowhere and she found herself pulled into a nearby doorway. She felt a light kiss on the back of her neck, and she spun to see her fiancé, with a silly grin on his face. She reached up and pulled his head toward and gave him a much more intimate kiss. Once they parted, she growled, "Where've you been, Mousse?"

"The old ghoul had me off on a mission," Mousse said, apologetically, "It came up so quick she wouldn't let me say goodbye. She said she would let you know. I guess she forgot."

"Then I guess you're forgiven. I missed you," she said, "The last several days have been lonely."

Mousse chuckled and replied, "I missed you, too." He pulled her into a tight hug, and asked, "So when are we going to set a date and make an honest man of me?"

She grinned and replied, "Well, I don't know. Maybe we should wait until I'm out of college first."

He growled at her, and said, "That's not funny, Nabiki. You and I both know that we don't want to wait that long. I want to be able to go to sleep and wake up with you the next morning."

"Let's talk about that while you're buying me some ice cream," Nabiki teased.

"Mercenary, aren't you?" he teased back, as he reached for her hand. They entwined their fingers as the headed toward the ice cream parlor.

"And you love me for it, don't you?" she said happily.

Mousse chuckled for a moment and then asked, "What had you so pensive before? I really shouldn't have been able to sneak up on you as easy as I did. You're usually much more aware of what's going on around you than that."

She frowned slightly and replied, "There were some ugly rumors being floated around about Ukyo. Ranma asked me to help him track them down, and I finally found out today who started them. It was a girl who has a connection to the Kuonji company. Kaede was told by the local manager to smear Ukyo's name and I was trying to figure out why."

Mousse's eyes glowed with anger for a moment and then he said, his voice cold, "Let me help. She's a very kind girl, and doesn't deserve to be hurt. It was bad enough that her father disowned her."

"Fortunately, Auntie Nodoka has a big heart. She didn't hesitate for a minute to add her to the Saotome clan," Nabiki replied absently. She squeezed his hand affectionately and said, "Maybe you can help. Do you have any access to truth potions?"

"Sure, Cologne has some at the embassy, or Shampoo can brew them up. She's pretty good with a spice box," Mousse replied, "Why?"

"I thought we might pay a visit to see Mr. Masumoto. I want to know whether he was doing this on his own, or because Ukyo's father told him to," Nabiki replied.

"In that case, I think we're going in the wrong direction," Mousse said, "The Nekohaten is that way."

"Oh no, you're not getting out of buying me some ice cream that easily," Nabiki retorted.

* * *

Shampoo's eyes lit up as her husband entered the café, and she ran to him, flinging her arms around him, to the obvious dismay of the male customers in the room. 

Taro laughed and said, "Looks like you missed me."

"This is the longest we've been apart since we've been married. Of course I missed you," Shampoo said with a pout.

"We've been invited to dinner at the Tendo's. I said we'd come unless something came up," Taro said.

"I'd like to go, I know they want to hear about the wedding," Shampoo said.

"Good. I got all registered for class at the college, so I'll start tomorrow," Taro said.

* * *

Ranma was walking hand-in-hand with Akane, heading toward the dojo, after a reasonably trying day at school. As they neared their brother-in-law's clinic, they saw Tofu dancing down the street with his skeleton, Betty. 

Ranma turned to Akane and asked, "What on earth is that about?"

"Well, that used to happen every time he talked to Kasumi," Akane replied, "Did you notice, his glasses fogged up too."

"Hm, then I wonder what set him off like that?" Ranma asked.

Akane shrugged her shoulders, distracting her husband for a moment with the interesting motion beneath her blouse. "I haven't got a clue," she replied.

"Sorry, that was kind of a rhetorical question," he said, "I guess I'd better track him down before he hurts someone." Ranma took off running after Tofu. 'He hasn't acted like this since he started dating Kasumi,' Ranma thought as he ran. Fortunately, since Tofu was busy twirling down the sidewalk waltzing with Betty, he hadn't gotten very far. "Hey, Doc," Ranma called, "It looks like Betty's getting tired. Maybe you ought to sit out this dance."

Tofu glanced around at Ranma; his glasses fogged, and asked, "Why Ranma, fancy meeting you here? Doesn't Betty look wonderful tonight?"

Ranma chuckled and replied, "Well, actually she looks like she's wasting away to nothing. I'd say skin and bones, if it wasn't such a bad pun." He reached out and pressed a point on the back of the older man's neck.

Tofu suddenly blinked and asked in surprise, "What am I doing here?"

"Don't have a clue, Doc. All I know is that you and Betty were out here dancing," Ranma replied, "It's been a while since you've done that."

Tofu grinned hugely and said, "We need to get home. Kasumi needs me."

"You're weirding me out here, Doc. But let's go," Ranma said as the two of them headed off to the house.

* * *

The extended family was all gathered around the table in the family room waiting for Kasumi and Nodoka to bring in the meal. Tofu was sitting there, with a dazed look in his eyes, which was beginning to concern Soun. 

Nodoka walked in from the kitchen carrying a large tray of food, including a large selection of sushi, primarily salmon and spicy tuna rolls. She set her burden down on the table and then walked over to the liquor cabinet and brought out the bottle of good saké as well as cups for everyone. She set the bottle and the cups down next to her just as Kasumi brought in the rest of the food; bowls of miso soup and teriyaki chicken yakatori, and empty bowls for the rice that was warming in the rice cooker. The two of them handed out the bowls of soup, and then dished out the rice. Then they passed around the sushi bowls, with wasabi and pickled ginger for those that liked their food just a bit spicy.

Nabiki raised her eyebrow and said, "This must be a special occasion. The sushi alone is very expensive."

Kasumi smiled mysteriously and replied, "It is a bit of a special occasion, sis." She poured saké for everyone but her and handed the cups around the table, pouring a cup of green tea for herself. She looked at Tofu for a moment, and then he clasped her hand. "Daddy, you're going to be a grandfather. I suspected I might be, and went to the clinic on campus the other day to find out. They confirmed it for me today," Kasumi said softly. She smiled at Taro and said, "That's why I was a little spaced out today when you ran into me at school."

Tofu's eyes glazed over again, but this time Ranma was waiting for it. He reached around and pressed the calming shiatsu point in the back of Tofu's neck, while the rest of the room, with the exception of Nodoka, erupted with words of congratulation. Nodoka simply smiled happily and then looked pointedly at her son and daughter-in-law, as if to say, "Where's MY grandchild?"

Ranma ignored her, while Akane blushed prettily. Ranma clapped Tofu on the back and said, "Congratulations to the two of you."

Akane reached over and hugged her sister, and then lightly kissed Tofu's cheek.

Soun, of course, began to cry tears of joy and happiness, mixed with sorrow for the fact that his beloved Kimiko was not here to share the good news. Hinako looked at him and smiled happily, knowing that the man that she loved had finally heard the news that he had been waiting for a long time to hear, that his clan would continue.

Genko looked at her brother and lisped, "That's nice, but can we eat now?"

"Yes, dear, we can eat now," Nodoka said fondly.

'Just like Pop, all he can think about is his stomach,' Ranma thought.

Shampoo looked at Kasumi a bit wistfully, thinking about how she wanted to start a family of her own. Many girls her age back home in the village were already mothers, and she was sure that a child of hers and Taro's would grow up to be a leader of the village.

Soun dried his tears and said, tremulously, "Thank you for that wonderful news, darling Kasumi." He glanced over briefly at Hinako, who nodded. "It appears that we have two reasons to celebrate tonight. As you know, Hinako and I have been dating now for several months, and we have become extremely close. Earlier this day, I asked Hinako to give me the honor of becoming my wife, and she graciously said yes," he said, as Hinako squeezed his hand in comfort.

The room erupted in pandemonium, as everyone tried to speak at once. Ranma yelled, "HUSH!"

The room quieted down, and Ranma turned to Soun and Hinako and said, "That's wonderful news, Dad, Hinako. I can't think of anything that could top that. Doc and Kasumi having a child and you two getting together, it's wonderful."

Akane giggled and said, "I agree. This is one of the best days I can remember."

Hinako said, "I love your father very much girls. And I want to thank Ranma and Akane for making this day possible."

Nabiki said softly, "Welcome to our family, Hinako. Take good care of Dad for us."

"I'll do my best, Nabiki," Hinako replied.

* * *

The next day found Nabiki and Mousse at the Kuonji Holding Company offices. Nabiki was talking to the receptionist, saying, "I'd like to see Mr. Masumoto, please. My name is Nabiki Tendo." 

The receptionist picked up the telephone and dialed. A moment later she said, "There is a Miss Nabiki Tendo here to see you." She listened for a moment and said, "Mr. Masumoto is tied up in a meeting all day, and won't be available."

Nabiki said, frostily, "Tell him he can either talk to me, or the press. How would it sound if they came to ask about how your company was slandering a friend of mine?"

The receptionist spoke quickly into the handset again, and said, "It appears that his meeting just broke up. Please go right in."

"Thank you for your assistance," Mousse said politely. Mousse and Nabiki walked through the door and into the inner office, where they found Mr. Masumoto rising from his desk.

"Thank you for seeing me after all, Mr. Masumoto," Nabiki said, "As I told your receptionist, I am Nabiki Tendo, and this is my associate Mousse of the Joketsuzoku, a member of the Chinese Embassy."

Masumoto's eyes widened as he bowed in greeting. "I have heard many things about you Miss Tendo. It is indeed a pleasure to meet someone of your eminence, Mr. Mousse."

"Shall we get down to business?" Nabiki asked, a slight frown on her face

"Please, join me for some tea," Masumoto suggested, a slight drop of sweat showing on his forehead.

Nabiki bowed her head graciously and said, "That would be nice." She exchanged a quick glance with Mousse who nodded slightly.

Masumoto poured three cups of tea and handed one each to Nabiki and Mousse.

Nabiki said, pointing to the large photograph on the desk to one side, "That's a pretty girl. Is that your daughter?"

Masumoto turned slightly and replied, "No, actually that is my grandniece. I don't get to see her very often."

Mousse sipped his tea, and nodded slightly to Nabiki. "This is a very nice tea," he said, "Where is it from? I can't quite decide."

"It's a house brand, a version of Ceylon Breakfast Tea, that our founder discovered a long time ago," Masumoto replied as he took a sip of his tea.

"Now what was that you were telling my receptionist?" he asked after they had a chance to savor the tea properly.

"As you probably know, I am partners with a young girl named Ukyo Hibiki, once of the Kuonji clan, now of the Saotome clan," Nabiki began.

"Yes, I was aware that you were partners with that person who we no longer name," Masumoto replied, his eyes beginning to glaze over.

"Ah, very good. Recently, a series of vile rumors were spread around Furinkan High School about her, and I was able to track the source to a girl named Kaede. When I talked to her, she informed me that she was directed to do so by her boyfriend's uncle. That person of course is you."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Masumoto began.

"Did you tell Kaede to spread those lies about Ukyo?" Mousse asked.

"Y-yes," Masumoto replied.

"Did you do that on your own?" Ukyo asked.

Masumoto replied, in a monotone, "Yes, I did."

"Why?" Mousse asked.

"Because she hurt Mr. Kuonji. He was no longer the same man after he found out that she had betrayed him," Masumoto replied, "He began staring at the window in his office, and refused to do anything. This company is my life and it was being destroyed because of what that girl did to her father."

"So Kuonji knows nothing of this?" Nabiki asked.

Masumoto laughed and said, "He hasn't crawled out of the bottle he fell into. We've been trying to keep the business afloat but without him, eventually it will fail."

Nabiki sighed in relief, and said, "What was this betrayal that Ukyo allegedly did?"

"I really don't know the details, but it had something to do with not fulfilling a vow of honor concerning someone named Saotome," Masumoto replied.

"Where can I find Kuonji?" Mousse asked.

Masumoto replied, "He is at his home in Osaka, at least that is the last word I had." His eyes closed and he began to snore.

"Thank you for your time, we'll see ourselves out," Nabiki said, as the two of them stood.

* * *

Author's Notes: Thanks for the many reviews on this story, in spite of its infrequency of update. As always, comments and criticisms are welcome. I truly enjoy reading all of them, and I'm glad that so many people seem to like this tale. Specific comments are below. 

Nairojam: Well, actually it is the three of them chasing after Genko Saotome, but otherwise yes.

Dimitri Platabo: This actually is my second story after Ranma's Decision. I guess there are some elements in common, I don't always go back and reread the other stories while I'm working on the current one, so the same ideas will crop up. As to Genko beating Ranma, well, maybe.

Steven: If you haven't already found them, I have three other stories on Just click on my user name and it will list them.

Neongene: So long as I can keep the ideas fresh, I'll continue with this story. It is a bit harder to write at the moment than Second Time Around. Apparently my muse is much more interested in that one.

Shinigami: Ask and it shall be answered. And I guess you forget, Nabiki is with Mousse. Not that I've made a real big deal about that relationship. They seem to keep it low-key.

SlickECBD: Yes, the curse was locked by the Chiisuiton, but that's not why the full-body cat's tongue no longer has an effect. I'll get to that in a later chapter when it becomes important, but it is related to the fact that she's now six instead of early forties.

TheWhiteMonk: The three figures that appeared at the end of the previous chapter are Herb and his/her two goons. They'll pop up again shortly. Don't know about Saffron. I can't quite decide how I want to write that story.

Wonderbee31: Thanks, and yes, it's nice to see them get real close. I enjoyed writing the scene with his mother. His parents never seem to show up much, so I wanted a chance for that to change. As to Genma remembering more of his past, well, maybe. It was Nodoka that performed the technique after all, and she's not an expert.

Sonic 1: I probably won't go that route in this story, but more than likely will go that way in Second Time Around. Thanks for the names of the techniques, that will save me a lot of research for when I get there.

Neon-ronin: I think this chapter might explain why Kasumi was a bit spacy. She did just find out she was pregnant after all, and that tends to make most married couples a bit spaced out for a while. As far as Ryoga, the only problem I have now is deciding where the young couple should live. After all, wouldn't it be nice to have a live in babysitter, but then what young couple wants to live with the mother. Decisions, decisions.

Innortal: I think this chapter should alleviate that concern. Ukyo won't inherit the curse, it's strictly a Hibiki descendant issue. Kasumi wouldn't let me beat up the three guys, sorry. You know how gentle she can be.

Dragon Man 180: Sorry, Kasumi wouldn't let me beat them up. VBG.

Kickaha: Same as above. I think Taro has a soft spot for women, though I need to read the story with the girl who felled in the spring of drowned statue, forgot her name, to see how he treated her. He does generally come across as a lone wolf, but now that he's married and has a 'better' name, his chip on the shoulder might disappear.


	54. Confrontations

Chapter 54 Confrontations

Three figures stood silhouetted against the rising sun, as they stood atop a hill overlooking the sleeping town of Nerima. A harsh voice broke the stillness as it asked, "Are you sure? We've traveled many a mile since Okinawa, and you've yet to be correct."

"We're doing our best, Prince," a second figure said.

The first voice growled, "It's not good enough. We must find Saotome."

"But why? Why did we have to come to this horrible land, where no one speaks our language?" a third voice whined.

"But we've been able to talk to women," the second voice said in a tone usually reserved by someone seeing a miracle occurring.

"You're here because I told you to come. And I have my own reasons as to why we are here, reasons that you don't need to know, understand?" the hooded figure said in a soft, yet strong voice.

"Yes, lord," the two retainers said in unison. The third said, "We have tracked the woman to a small house in this small town, Prince. Shall we lead you there?"

"Of course," the Prince snarled.

* * *

Ranma walked to the gate of the small elementary school that his mother had managed to enroll Genko in. To his dismay, he saw the small figure of his 'sister' standing there with a stern-visaged old woman, wearing her grey hair in a bun, and her glasses perched precariously on her nose. The little girl standing next to her was slightly battered, with a look of righteous anger that looked strangely out of place on the otherwise pretty girl. 

Ranma bowed to the woman that he suspected was the principal of the school, and said, "I'm Ranma Saotome, Genko's brother. Has there been a problem?"

The woman sighed and said, "Yes, there has been. I'm Miss Koyama the principal of the school and I'm sorry to say that this little girl has been in a fight."

Ranma grimaced and said, "I'm sorry about that, Koyama-san. My family teaches martial arts, and she is my student. I assure you that I will be talking to her about what happened."

"Well, that explains why she was able to do as much damage as she did," the old woman said with a sad smile.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Ranma asked.

"I wasn't in the courtyard when the brawl occurred, but the teachers that were here said that two of the older students were bullying the little ones in your sister's class. Several of them got scared and started crying and the teachers were on their way over to break things up when this little girl attacked the two bullies," the principal replied, "Before she was pulled off of them, they were severely beaten up."

"I'm not sure I blame her then, to be honest. We have always taught that a martial artist protects the weak, and it sounds like that was exactly what she was doing," Ranma said, hesitantly. Then he asked, "How badly were the two boys hurt?"

"Nothing a few days of rest won't fix. Though I suspect that they'll walk funny for the rest of the week," the woman replied.

"I'll let Mom know what happened, but I do have to ask why the teachers weren't involved sooner," Ranma said.

The woman sighed again and said, "I've already spoken to the two teachers involved. They were too busy talking about the fun they had last weekend to be paying attention to what was happening in one corner of the schoolyard."

"Genko, what do say about all of this?" Ranma asked.

"Sorry, sensei, but I thought I was doing the right thing," the little girl lisped. "They were hurting my friends and scaring everyone. And the teachers didn't do nothing to stop them," she said indignantly, "They were being real mean."

"I know you thought you were doing the right thing, sis, but the teachers were about to handle it," Ranma chided.

"But they were taking too long!" the girl complained.

Ranma sighed and said, "I'll let Mom know what happened, Koyama-san, and I'm sure that it won't reoccur."

"Thank you, but she's really not in that much trouble. She did the minimum amount of damage to get them to back off, and I think mostly hurt their pride that a six year old was able to do that much damage to them," the principal said, "We talked, and she understands that what she did wasn't the best way to have handled things. On the other hand, I doubt we'll have any of the older children picking on the little ones anymore."

"Now I'm confused," Ranma said.

The old woman smiled, and replied, "I'm from a family of martial artists myself, so I understand the reason why she felt like she needed to act the way she did. Tell your mother not to worry, her daughter's heart is in the right place, even if her actions were over the top."

"Thank you, principal," Genko lisped. She put one small hand in her brother's and asked, "Can you take me home now? I'm hungry."

"Okay, little one," Ranma said, "I'm kinda hungry myself. I'm sure Mom has a snack for you." He bowed politely to the principal again and then led the little girl down the street.

* * *

Nabiki and Ukyo walked up the spotless stone walk to the door of Ukyo's ancestral home. Nabiki knocked politely on the door, and the two of them waited for someone to come. After several moments, the door opened and an elderly man looked out. "Can I help you?" the old man asked. 

"My name is Nabiki Tendo, and this is my sister Ukyo. We have an appointment with Mr. Kuonji," Nabiki said smoothly.

"Ah yes, the master has been expecting you. And so prompt, he will be pleased," the old man said, "Please come in. House shoes are to the left."

The two girls walked into the entry hall and changed out of their shoes and then followed the old man as he led them down the hall into a wood-paneled study. There, sitting behind a massive desk, they saw Ukyo's father, reading several reports. The servant cleared his throat and Mr. Kuonji looked up. At first his face was expressionless, and then when he realized that one of the women in front of his was his disowned daughter, he looked disgusted. "What is that one doing here?" he growled.

"My sister is the reason we are here," Nabiki said coldly.

"I have nothing to say to her, that I haven't already said. She is dead to me," Kuonji growled.

Ukyo winced imperceptibly as Nabiki looked at the man in front of her even colder. With a voice approaching artic chill, she said, "Then you are a fool and even less of a man of honor than I thought."

"Honor, how dare you speak to me about honor? If I had remembered that Tendo was the family name of the bitch who helped that person whose name I will not utter escape my wrath, then you wouldn't be here," Kuonji spat. He turned to the servant and said, "Show them out, this interview is done."

"I'm not leaving until I've had my say, old man, so unless you want to read about all of this in the paper and have your name smeared across Japan, you'll shut up and listen," Nabiki said, now in a voice so cold that frost began to form on the windows.

"Ha, that's just a bluff, there's nothing you can say that would cause a scandal," Kuonji said.

Nabiki smiled, a smile that never got close to her eyes, and one that would have made a pelagic shark proud. Then she asked softly, "Want to bet?"

The confidence in the young girl shook Kuonji, and he waved the servant away. "You have five minutes," he spat.

"First, because of your abandonment of your daughter, she has been added to the Saotome clan roster, as an adopted daughter to Nodoka Saotome, and the sister of Ranma Saotome. Second, she is pregnant with her first child, by her husband Ryoga Hibiki, who she loves very much," Nabiki said.

"Not right now I don't," Ukyo said sotto voce.

"Huh?" Nabiki asked.

"You try carrying around a ten pound ball in your stomach for the next several months, a ball that seems to press on my bladder all the time, and you'll understand what I mean," Ukyo growled.

"A child?" Kuonji asked in surprise.

"Yes, a child!" Ukyo almost screamed, "You're grandchild, you bastard! Don't you remember from your visit!"

"A bit hormonal, aren't we dear?" Nabiki retorted, "Why don't you sit down?"

Ukyo gratefully sank into one of the straight-backed chairs in the room.

"As you can see, she's a little stressed out right now. I almost didn't bring her, but you needed to know that truth about things," Nabiki said.

"Truth, do you even know the truth?" Kuonji retorted.

Nabiki replied, "I know more of the truth than you do. Now, I'll be the first to admit that the stunt we pulled when you first visited wasn't my brightest idea. But, in my defense, I didn't have a lot of time to work on it." She sighed, and then continued, "That idiot Genma has screwed up so many people's lives, I doubt we'll ever get everything untangled. You do know that he's the one that told you that Ranma really was a guy with a curse, don't you?"

"No, I was told by a woman," Kuonji said, and then trailed off as the light bulb turned on.

Nabiki snickered and said, "Exactly. That was Genma. The three women that he hurt the most, Nodoka, Ukyo and Shampoo, all had their vengeance. They poured water from the spring of drowned girl over him, and Ranma made him sensitive to heat so he couldn't change back. So the old man was stuck as a woman. He used you to get his revenge on Ukyo."

"So in a way you did kill Genma Saotome, didn't you?" Kuonji asked.

Ukyo nodded proudly.

Kuonji wiped his hand across his face and sighed. "When I came back from Nerima, I had no intention of disowning you. You were my only heir. But then, I got a report from my factor in Nerima which told me several things that I assume aren't true," he said.

"What kind of things?" Nabiki asked, "Because we recently found out he was behind an attempt to ruin Ukyo's reputation at school and make her out to be a tramp."

"He did what!" Kuonji exclaimed.

"He had one of the students spread lies about her. He also said that you've been drinking heavily, and that's why he did it. To get revenge on what he perceived as her betrayal of you, I suppose," Nabiki replied.

"That's not completely accurate, though, I have to admit I did let things slide for a while," Kuonji stated. He straightened up and said, a bit more firmly, "Ranma did the best that he could to resolve the situation and leave his honor intact. He did at least wed one of the women that had a claim on him. And you did redeem your pledge at least in part by ridding the world of Genma Saotome and Nodoka Saotome did what she could by adding you to her clan."

"Oh, she did more than that," Nabiki said, "Genma no longer exists at all. When we found out that he was the one that told you about Ranma, Nodoka tracked him down. With the help of some magic mushrooms and a few Amazon techniques, Genma is now Auntie's six year old daughter with no memory of who she once was."

"And Ranma is her sensei in Anything Goes Martial Arts," Ukyo said proudly, "The school that my child will learn when he is of age."

"It appears that I was too hasty in my decision. I'd like my daughter back, that is, if you'll have me," Kuonji said, his eyes filled with pain.

"It hurt me a great deal to receive that news in a letter. I'm not sure I'm ready to forgive you yet. And at least I'm with a family that wants me," Ukyo said.

Kuonji winced as if he had been struck. "Well, I can at least restore my will," he replied.

Ukyo flared up and said, "I don't want your company. Give it to someone else!"

Nabiki grumbled, "I'm never getting pregnant. Goddamn hormones!" She turned to Ukyo and said, "Hush, Ukyo. He can give it to whomever he wants. Perhaps your child."

"Would you accept that as a compromise, child?" Kuonji asked.

Ukyo closed her eyes and nodded her head.

"Then I think our business here is concluded," Nabiki said.

"Please, could you stay for tea?" Kuonji pleaded.

Again, Ukyo nodded, as Kuonji sighed in relief, hoping that he was getting his daughter back, at least in part, wishing that he had not been so stupid before.

* * *

Ranma and Genko walked through the door and into the kitchen where they found Nodoka pouring over a letter. She looked up and smiled at her 'children' and simply pointed to the cookies and milk that were sitting on the table next to her. 

Genko's eyes widened in delight as she grabbed a fistful of cookies and began to eat them. Ranma showed a bit more restraint and only picked up one and nibbled on it thoughtfully.

"Mom, Genko got into some trouble at school today, but it really wasn't her fault. I talked to the principal after school and it seems that two of the older boys were pushing some of the six year olds around, and hurting them. Genko defended the other kids and beat up the two boys that were causing the problem," Ranma said.

"The other kids were really scared, Mommy, I had to protect them. Big brother told me it duty of martial artists to use the art to protect the weak," Genko said, her eyes downcast.

"Daughter, your heart was in the right place but maybe you should of thought of a different way," Nodoka said, hoping she was able to get the right amount of sternness in her voice.

"But Mommy, they wouldn't have listened to me, I'm too small to scare them off," Genko protested.

"It does sound like you thought it out, Genko. Take your cookies and milk and go outside. I need to talk to Ranma," Nodoka said.

"Yes, Mommy. I'm sorry I disappointed you," the little girl said, looking very sad.

"Oh but you didn't, daughter. You did do the right thing, just not necessarily the right way, " Nodoka said.

Genko looked a little happier as she stole the entire plate of cookies and ran off with her milk.

"So what do you need to tell me that she didn't need to hear?" Ranma asked.

"This is a letter from Cologne. I wrote her about why Genko didn't have a problem with hot water any more, and she wrote back with an idea about that and some news," Nodoka replied.

Ranma frowned and asked, "Okay, so what did it say?"

Nodoka replied, "Well, she thinks the magic mushrooms overcame the cat's tongue, because all of her nerves are restored to their youthful state. And she wrote that a woman matching her description had been seen around Jusenkyo, but the guide ran her off, and didn't let her near any of the springs. But that one of the warriors of the Musk Dynasty was also in the area, and that something happened between them, they don't know what, and the warrior is hunting for her. "

"Musk, who the hell are they?" Ranma asked.

"Hm, what she wrote is they were once men of a martial arts clan who strove to perfect the arts of 'form mimicry,' whatever that is. They isolated themselves in the mountain to devote themselves to training, and after exhaustive study of the strengths and characteristics of beasts, they attempted to become one with the animals," Nodoka recited, "They captured wild animals with their bare hands and threw them into the spring of drowned girl to give them the forms of women and married them, so their offspring were endowed with the strengths of that animal. In particular, she wrote that Herb, successor to the throne of the Musk Dynasty, is said, like all those of the imperial line, to be descended from a dragon."

"So why do they want Pop?" Ranma wondered, "What could she have done to anger them?"

"I have no idea," Nodoka replied, "And that bothers me."

Ranma frowned and said, "Well, I want you to keep an eye out for anyone strange hanging around. If they are chasing Pop, eventually they'll turn up here."

"Of course, you didn't have to tell me that, dear," Nodoka replied.

* * *

Nodoka woke from a sound sleep, her mind still fuzzy, wondering what it was that had awakened her. Then she heard it again, the sound that had roused her, a small creak as if someone was walking around the house. Quickly, she rolled out of bed and threw on her robe, and slipped into her padded house shoes, while she wished her katana was not on the stand over the fireplace. Slowly she slid her door open and walked quietly down the stairs, keeping close to the wall, her feet not making a sound. She gained the entrance to the family room, and eased inside and found her blade. Removing it from its sheath, she immediately felt better. Then she froze as she saw a figure silhouetted against the front door of her house. A sudden rapping at the door caused her to start in surprise. Glancing at the clock, which showed that it wasjust afterdaybreak, she grumbled about impolite visitors and headed toward the door. Once she reached the door, she opened it to see a figure standing there in a hooded cloak, with just a faint hint of blond hair escaping from the hood. 

In a low voice, the figure asked, "Is this the house of Genma Saotome?"

With a faint note of distaste, Nodoka replied, "That person no longer exists. He has been dead to this family for several months. I am Nodoka Himura, his former wife."

"Ah, then it appears that I have been chasing a ghost," the figure said again in a low voice that prevented Nodoka from determining its gender.

"Oh and why would you be chasing that person we no longer name?" Nodoka asked.

"I had a run-in with someone in China, and that was the name that I was told," the figure said, with a low growl.

Nodoka sighed and asked, "Please, would you like to come in? I was just about to start making some tea, Mister?"

"Ah, manners, I am Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty, a tribe found in the mountains of China," the young man replied.

Nodoka led the way into her spotless, yet cozy-looking kitchen and busied herself with filling a tea kettle with fresh water and placing it on the stove to heat. "Why are you hunting for that unworthy one?" Nodoka asked.

"There was an artifact that he stole while I was, um, distracted by something," Herb replied.

Suddenly there was a loud crash as two more figures attempted to enter the house, through the exterior kitchen door, one of them carrying Akane on his back, and the other one dragging Shampoo.

"Mint! Lime! What are you doing?" Herb asked, angrily.

"I touched a woman," Mint replied.

"Now I can have tea with a woman," Lime added.

Nodoka growled and said, "Those woman are my daughters. I suggest you put them down."

"You heard her," Herb commanded.

"But, Lord, they're women," Mint protested.

"Yes, and happily married women at that!" Nodoka exclaimed, beginning to reach for the katana that she had leaned against the counter.

"There is no need for violence, Himura-san," Herb said soothingly. He turned to his servants and glared at them. They quickly released the two girls. "Mint, Lime, I have told you repeatedly not to do that. Go outside and wait for me," Herb ordered.

"You were telling me about an artifact that you are missing," Nodoka said as the tea kettle began to whistle. She poured the water into her teapot and then poured it back out. Then she refilled it, and added several teaspoons of tea leaves.

"It is an ancient treasure of my people, the Chiisuiton," Herb replied.

"So why do you think that he has it?" Nodoka asked, "And what does it do?"

Herb sighed, and replied, "What I tell you can not leave this room. The only reason I'm telling you is that you are my last hope of finding the artifact. The Musk Dynasty has been a martial arts warrior clan for over fourteen hundred years. Boys are separated from their mothers as soon as they are weaned and spend their youth in training with the men, growing up knowing nothing about those creatures called women."

"That sounds horrible," Akane said.

"Even Amazon woman know better than that," Shampoo added.

"Elder Cologne has told us some of your history. That your ancestors wanted the power of wild animals; they threw those animals into the Nyanniichuan spring, and then married the women," Nodoka said.

"She's was only partially correct. That is ancient history for us. Now we take our wives from among the ranks of chosen women highly skilled in the martial arts," Herb said, "And one fateful day, I was told by my father the king that it was time for my own arranged marriage. Of course, I agreed, since it was for the continued prosperity of the Musk Dynasty." Herb sighed again, "And that is where I made an error. I had never been around a woman before, and so, in order to prepare for my courtship, I made the long trek to the cursed springs at Jusenkyo, there to study in depth the creatures called woman. The guide showed me to the Nyanniichuan spring and then left, after seeing some strange person walking toward his hut. I had captured a monkey, and threw the monkey into the spring. But, my eyes were mesmerized by the transformed woman's breasts and I let my guard down."

Shampoo snickered and said, "So you were caught being a pervert."

"Anyway, the girl jumped out of the spring, and pushed me into it, after which, of course, I found that I too now had breasts myself, and for another instant, I let my guard down, and suddenly I was drenched in water from the Chiisuiton, the pail of preservation, which I had brought in order to freeze the monkey into woman form," Herb said, "I froze again, and the monkey woman ran off, carrying the pail, only to run into the person the guide was chasing."

"And you think this person was the one we no longer name?" Nodoka asked.

"Yes, the guide told me that after the collision, which caused the pail to be poured on both the monkey woman and the person. I heard a low cry and then he grabbed the pail and its ladle and ran off," Herb said, "The guide came back to me and told me that the person was a man by the name of Genma Saotome. Except he no longer was a man, for some reason."

"There once was a man by that name. As I said, he was my husband, but do to his actions in raising my son, he forfeited his rights to that honor. He wronged not only myself, but two other women, so we decided that an appropriate punishment was to curse him with water from Nyanniichuan, and perform a technique that would make hot water unbearable to him," Nodoka said, "That was the person you saw at Jusenkyo, I'm sure hunting for a spring to change him back to male. And now, I guess he is locked in that form forever. But that still doesn't explain why you are searching for the pail."

"There is another artifact, the Kai-sui-fu, the teakettle of liberation. That artifact will unlock my curse, and restore my manhood. The Chiisuiton will point me to it," Herb said, "During the wars throughout China's turbelent history, the Kai-sui-fu changed owners many times and it is presently somewhere in Japan. That is the ultimate goal of my quest, once I have retrieved the Chiisuiton."

Suddenly they heard the sound of a struggle coming from outside. The four of them rushed to the kitchen door and threw it open. There they found Mint and Lime laying on the ground, badly bruised, and unconscious. Standing over them were Ranma and Taro the flying minotaur grinning viciously down at their defeated foes.

"What is the meaning of this?" Herb demanded.

Shampoo poured the contents of the kettle over Taro's head, who blushed and dove into his clothing. After getting dressed, he drawled, "These idiots were lurking around the house, attempting to peek into the windows. When I asked what they were doing, they attacked me. In the process, I got wet and changed."

Ranma looked worriedly at Akane, and asked, "Where have you been? When you didn't come back from your jogging, I got worried. I remembered that you said you were going to meet Shampoo, so I came over here to see if she knew where you were, only to see these two attack Taro."

"We were on our way back when these two henchmen jumped us. I wasn't paying enough attention, and they got me first," Akane admitted, "And Shampoo wouldn't try to escape. To our surprise they brought us here."

Herb shook her head in dismay and said, "I apologize for my foolish retainers. They aren't used to civilized behavior, I'm afraid."

Ranma asked, frostily, "And who are you?"

"Ranma, manners!" Akane and Nodoka said in unison.

"I have the honor to be Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty," Herb replied.

"I am Ranma Saotome, son of Nodoka and husband to this lovely woman here," Ranma said. "Is this the guy that the old woman was warning us about?" he asked.

"Yes, son, he is, and he is here to find something that the nameless one stole from him in China. Also, from what he has told me, I now know why the curse is locked," Nodoka replied.

"Well, didn't you bring back everything from the hotel?" Ranma asked.

Nodoka replied, "Yes, it's in his backpack in Genko's closet. Everything but his clothing, that is. Most of that I gave away or burned."

"Then I'll go get it while the rest of you wake up these sleeping beauties," Ranma said. He walked past them, heading upstairs.

Shampoo walked over to Taro, and held onto him for a few moments, while Akane, Nodoka and Herb went back into the kitchen. Soon they were joined by Ranma who had brought down the backpack. Ranma opened up the backpack and was soon shouldered out of the way by Herb. Ranma looked at the Prince with an odd look in his eyes and then shrugged his shoulders.

Suddenly, with a glad cry, that confirmed Ranma's suspicions, Herb drew forth a small pail, with a long-handled ladle inside it. "At last," Herb breathed, "I've found the pail of preservation. Now I can use it to find the kettle of liberation!"

Ranma asked quietly, "How long have you been stuck as a girl?"

"How did you know?" Herb asked.

"You don't move like a guy, and well, when you moved me out of the way, you didn't exactly use your shoulder," Ranma said, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." He thought for a moment and then asked, "I don't suppose the pail of preservation would cure a Jusenkyo curse, would it?"

"No, it would only freeze you in your cursed form. My people used it to freeze the animals we tossed into the Nyanniichuan so they would remain a woman," Herb said. She gazed intently at Ranma and then said, suddenly, "You have a curse!"

"Yes, the same as yours," Ranma said, "Not to disparage those two clowns outside, but if you'd like some company searching for the whatchamacallit, I'd like to tag along. You could probably use someone who knows the countryside a bit better than they do and I'd like to do some sparring with you. I expect there's some things that we could teach each other."

"True, and I doubt that you'll freeze up everytime you see a woman," Herb said thoughtfully. She sighed and said, "They don't know about this. I'd like to keep it hidden from them."

"I understand. If they've never seen a woman before this trip, then it would be awkward for you," Akane said. Then she frowned at her husband and said, "I'm coming with you, by the way."

"That's okay with me, if it's all right with the Prince here," Ranma replied. Then he added thoughtfully, "And seeing as how you're stuck with this curse, Herb, it might not hurt to learn about being female."

Herb sighed heavily, as she realized that the young man was probably right. "Then it's settled. We'll head toward Treasure Mountain as soon as they wake up," Herb said.

"Akane and I will need to pack for a few days, then we'll meet you at the rail station," Ranma said.

"I'm not sure going by rail is the best thing to do. It was all I could do to keep them away from all of the women they saw as it was," Herb said.

"How far away is this Treasure Mountain?" Akane asked.

Herb frowned and replied, "Several days by foot."

Akane looked at Ranma and said, "We'll just have to take the time, Ranma. I can't imagine those two on a train."

* * *

Author's Notes: Sorry that this chapter took so long. I hope it was worth the wait. Comments and suggestions are always welcomed. Specific comments to reviews are below: 

Neon-ronin: Thanks. I always wondered what Tofu would do if he found out he was going to be a father, myself. I hope the confrontation with Kuonji worked.

Shinigami: You're welcome. And now you have the answer to that question. Yes, Ranma and Akane are using something other than the rhythm method. Those that rely are that are normally called parents after all.

Innortal: Soap Opera! LOL.


	55. The Road to Treasure Mountain

Chapter 55 The Road to Treasure Mountain

After the first day of travel toward Treasure Mountain, Ranma had to admit to himself that Akane was right. Taking Mint and Lime on the train would have been a nightmare. Every time Akane said anything at all to either of them, they launched into a litany of "She spoke to me, a woman actually spoke to me!" reminiscent of Gosunkugi at his worst. The only fortunate thing about traveling this way was that the path they had taken managed to avoid meeting people, or at least allowed Ranma to keep the two of them under wraps. Prince Herb was silent throughout most of the day, obviously thinking of something.

"Ranma," Akane said, interrupting his musings, or rather her musings courtesy of a brief rainfall an hour or so before.

"What?" Ranma replied, rousing herself from her reverie, though she had as always been perfectly aware of the things around her.

"It is getting late, shouldn't we be looking for a place to stay for the night?" her wife asked.

Ranma looked at the sun, noticing how close it was to the far horizon and replied, "Yeah, it is. There's a small glade up ahead, if I remember correctly, that we can set up the tents in. That'll be okay with you, won't it, Prince Herb?"

Herb replied softly, "That will be fine, Ranma." She grimaced unseen under her hood and added, "Besides, I'd rather not have to deal with people. Or more accurately, I suppose, try to keep Mint and Lime from making fools of themselves."

Ranma giggled, surprising Herb, and said, "I'm not sure how you managed to survive dragging them around on your trip here in the first place."

Herb snorted in amusement and said, with a noticeable shudder, "I don't want to remember how bad it was. Constantly having to chase after them, every time they saw a woman. And the questions, oh the questions! It nearly drove me crazy. And to think I have had to put up with it for almost three weeks."

Ranma raised an elegant eyebrow at that and asked, softly, "How long has it been since you received your curse?"

"I'm starting my fourth week, why?" Herb replied.

Ranma and Akane blanched. Akane replied, "I suspect we'll have a long talk tonight after we send your servants to bed."

"What about?" Herb asked.

Ranma replied, softly so she couldn't be overheard, "About being a woman and what that means." She snickered for a moment.

Akane asked a question with her eyes.

"Just that payback is a bitch. I was remembering how I ducked out of telling Ryoga and dumped him on Ukyo. And I was really hoping I wouldn't have to give the 'Talk' until we had children of that age," Ranma replied, with a wry grin.

Akane giggled prettily and replied, "That was kind of sneaky of you. I didn't realize that you stuck Ukyo with that."

"I figured that he's rather hear about it from her. Of course, I made sure that he didn't find out about it until after he changed curses," Ranma said, with an evil grin. She looked around as they entered the small glade. It turned out to be a bit larger than she had remembered, with a small spring-fed pool surrounded by high rocks on three sides off to one side of the glade. The steam coming off of the water, as well as the slight scent of sulfur, indicated that it was a hot spring.

"Hm, I don't remember that being here," Ranma said, pointing to the spring, "But it'll sure come in handy."

"We didn't know if you had any tents, so we brought three of them," Akane said, as she dropped her backpack on the ground and stretched.

"Actually, they have a pavilion for me and a small tent for them," Herb said.

There was a moment of silence and then Herb added, "But thank you for thinking about it anyway."

"All right then, let's get the campsite put together. We'll need a pit dug for the fire, and some firewood for later, and the tents set up," Ranma said. He turned to Akane and asked, "Which do you want to do?"

"Why don't you put up the tent?" Akane said softly, "Then you can go change if you want. I'll take care of the fire."

"Mint and Lime will put up our lodging," Herb said, "I'll help you get the firewood."

Ranma thought for a moment and replied, "That's sounds like a workable plan." She shrugged out of her pack and set it on the ground. She took a roll of canvas out and looked around the glade for a moment until she found a relatively flat spot upwind of the pool. She unrolled the canvas and took out the poles and started snapping the poles together.

After thirty minutes or so, the campsite was established. Akane soon had a roaring fire going using the wood that Herb had dragged in from the surrounding trees. To her surprise, Ranma had opted to stay female. When Akane looked at her in surprise, she just smiled and said, "I'll explain a bit later."

Mint volunteered to fix dinner. While he was cutting up the various vegetables and meats that he had pulled from his large backpack, Herb, Akane and Ranma made their way over to the hot spring for some privacy. Lime kept Mint company.

"I'm not sure how long you'll be able to hide your curse from those two," Akane said with a frown, "You can't keep walking around in that hooded cape forever. You'll need to bathe, if for no other reason."

Herb sighed heavily and said, "I know that Akane. But this is so hard."

"I can relate to that," Ranma said softly, "It took me a long time to get used to changing, but now it's just a part of my life. You have it rough right now because your curse is locked."

"But that could also be good. Because you've had to be a girl now for a while, it might help you adjust," Akane suggested, "But I have to admit, I don't really know how you feel about all of this. I can't imagine how I'd react if the situation was reversed."

"Why are you helping me?" Herb asked.

Ranma shrugged and replied, "A couple of reasons I guess. One, I've gone through at least some of what is happening to you. Two, I always want to learn more techniques that I can integrate into martial arts. According to Cologne, you should have several things that you can teach me, and there might be one or two things I can teach you."

"Ah, enlightened self-interest then," Herb mused, "That's a motive that I can understand."

Ranma grinned and said, "Spoken like a true prince. Just like, oh what was his name Akane, that Italian guy we had to read about, Machia-something,"

"You mean you actually were paying attention in class. The name was Machiavelli," Akane said with a smile.

"Yeah, him," Ranma said.

* * *

Mint sat next to the fire, absent-mindedly stirring the meal he was preparing, while he gazed across the clearing at his prince. Something was troubling him, down in the dim recesses of his brain, but it just wouldn't surface. He knew something was off, but he couldn't put a finger to it. Prince Herb had been acting strange ever since he had returned from his brief sojourn to the valley far below their mountain, and ordered them to be ready to travel the next morning. He had never seen him unless he was dressed in that hooded cloak, and the prince had refused to allow either of his retainers too close to him. And all of his orders had been given in that harsh whisper, in a voice barely recognizable as his own. 

"Mint," Lime said suddenly, "Does something about Prince Herb strike you as odd?"

"I was just thinking that very thing," Mint replied, "Ever since he came back from his training trip and then dragged us off to this place filled with people, something's different."

They watched in surprise as Ranma and Prince Herb began to spar. Neither of them were going full blast, though it was obvious that Ranma was hardpressed to counter each of their prince's blows. Then suddenly, one of Ranma's strikes got through, but all she managed to do was slash the prince's clothing and then as she fell backwards, she ripped the cloak off. Prince Herb stood there in shock, one breast exposed. Quickly, she redid the tunic that she was wearing.

"Prince Herb!" Mint exclaimed.

Lime asked, "Those objects on your chest, may we touch them?"

"No you fools," Herb said coldly.

"Sorry, Prince Herb," Ranma said softly.

Herb sighed and said, "I suppose I should be angry, but it **was** my idea to do some sparring. You're pretty good for a mere mortal, I'll grant you that." She turned to her retainers, and said, "Yes, I fell into the cursed spring at Jusenkyo, and was doused with the water from the Chiisuiton, the sacred Pail of Preservation so I am stuck in this form. That is why I came to this land, to find the Kai-sui-fu, the teakettle of liberation, and restore my manhood."

"But why did you not tell us, or tell your father, the king?" Lime asked, his eyes wide.

Herb stared at the ground for a moment and then with a sudden jerk, exposed herself. "Because you would have tried to look at these," she said, pointing to her pink-tipped breasts. "I've seen how you've behaved since we left our homeland. Every time you met a woman, these are the only things you paid attention to," she growled.

"I think you've made your point," Akane said dryly, as the two men began to bleed from their noses.

Herb pulled her top back on, covering herself.

"Is dinner about done?" Ranma asked.

Mint started in surprise and then replied, "Yes, it is Master Ranma."

* * *

After dinner was over and Mint and Lime had cleaned up, Herb ordered them to go to bed. She turned to Ranma and said, "I know I'm going to regret saying this, but I really need that hot spring. I haven't had a decent bath since I got this curse. Sponge baths just don't cut it." 

"Why would you regret saying that?" Akane asked, "I know I wouldn't mind a good soak right now."

"Mrs. Saotome, I am a guy, no matter what I look like right now," Herb said, blushing, "I don't think it would be proper for me to see you like that."

Akane giggled and said, "I've got a swim suit I can wear. That will protect most of my modesty."

"I've seen that suit," Ranma said, "I think it's more like some of your modesty. Come on, Prince, we can get started. I'll get the soap and rinse buckets if you want to head to the spring."

Herb looked at them and then longingly at the spring. With a heartfelt sigh, she said, "I really do want to get clean. Fine, I'll meet you there." She headed for her pavilion, and ducked inside the large tent.

Ranma quickly kissed her wife and the two of them went to their tent. Akane rummaged around in her backpack for her suit while Ranma found the bathing supplies, a couple of towels and a bathrobe. Ranma took her clothes off and put the robe on. She also found a couple of the supplies that she thought might be required that evening.

Akane quickly changed into her suit, and pulled a short robe on over it. The two of them made their way to the spring, where they found Herb sitting on one of the large rocks, already rinsing herself off.

Akane shucked off her robe and entered the pool, finding it to be nicely hot. Ranma wandered around until she found where a small cold water stream was entering the pool. She pulled off her robe and began rinsing her body off.

"Ranma, why didn't you get into the hotter water and change?" Akane asked.

"A couple of reasons," Ranma replied. She looked at the prince or rather princess sitting on the rock and said, softly, "She's one of them." Ranma watched as Herb continued scrubbing her body. Ranma sighed and walked over to Herb and took the sponge out of her hand. She gently began to scrub Herb's back. "Akane was right, you know, earlier, when she said what happened to you could be a good thing," Ranma said softly, "Not that getting cursed was good, don't get me wrong about that. But, getting locked as a girl for a while might not be too bad. I know when I changed, I felt so awkward each time for the longest time. Nothing felt right, my balance was always off, especially with these on my chest, and my hips just moved differently. It took me a long time to get this body trained to be a good martial artist."

Herb froze for a moment and then shuddered. "I hadn't really thought of that, Ranma. It was tough the first few days, but having to stay this way has allowed me to become used to this body."

"There's no cure for the curse, at least that I'm aware of, so I finally decided to accept it as a part of who I am," Ranma said.

"How come you didn't change back?" Herb asked.

"Well, it really doesn't bother me anymore. Plus, it wouldn't be a good idea for the next few days anyway," Ranma said. She hesitated and then said, "Since your people have used the Spring of Drowned Girl in the past, you know that the change is complete, right?"

Herb turned slightly to look back over her shoulder. "I guess I know that. So?"

"Uh, that means the change isn't exactly skin deep. We really are female, completely female," Ranma said.

"Okay, I follow that, so?" Herb asked.

Ranma sighed and said, "That means that we have all of the things that it takes to allow us to become pregnant and everything that goes along with that."

Herb stared at Ranma aghast as all the color from her face disappeared.

"And one of the things that goes with that is something called a period," Ranma continued relentlessly, "It happens every four weeks, when the body gets rid of its egg and the blood lining the womb. And lucky us, we get to experience it. Made me realize how stupid my father was calling women the weaker sex."

"So all I have to do is stay male, and it won't bother me," Herb said, "Right?"

Ranma chuckled grimly and replied, "Wrong. For whatever reason, the curse doesn't care. It happens and if you try to skip it, eventually it gets very painful. I've found that it's easier to just let it occur. And guess what, since you've been a girl for almost four weeks, it's about time for your first one. Welcome to the club."

Herb looked at her with horror-filled eyes, and then to all of their surprise, she began to cry. Ranma looked helplessly at Akane and then gingerly held Herb in her arms, while the poor boy turned girl cried against her shoulder.

Herb finally calmed down and said, "Sorry, Ranma, I don't normally fall apart like this. Not very manly of me." She smiled a bit wryly and added, "Though I guess there's not much about me that's manly right now."

Ranma began to giggle, shocking Herb. Ranma waved at her for a moment and then said, "Sorry, I wasn't laughing at you. Don't tell me you were fed that man among men crap too?"

"Well of course I was. Remember the way I was raised. I'm the first female I've seen since I was taken away from my mother," Herb said, "I was taught to be a proud warrior prince."

Ranma said, "Just like I was raised by my father to be a proud martial artist, to be the most manly person around. Instead looks like we get to be the punch line of a particularly bad joke. I just wish I knew which of the kami Pop pissed off that got my life so screwed up."

Herb gazed at her for a moment and then replied, "You and me both, Ranma, you and me both." She thought for a moment and then said, "I'm glad I ran into you. At least now I know that I'm not the only person going through this. It helps in some odd way." She held out her hand and asked, "Friends?"

Ranma smiled prettily and said, "Sure." She clasped Herb's hand and shook it. "I need to finish my bath, so why don't you rinse off. Akane and I still have a few more things to go over with you about all of this." She stood up and walked back over to where her rinse bucket was and began to soap herself up.

Herb rinsed off and slid into the hot water. Ranma finished cleaning herself and slid into the cool water by the small stream.

"Okay, what else do I need to know about?" Herb asked. She listened intently as Akane began to describe her new monthly visitor, her face paling at the description. She couldn't turn away, she couldn't stop listening. It was almost like watching a disaster that you know you can't prevent occur. Finally, Akane stopped talking, and put away the supplies she had described.

"Every month?" Herb asked.

"Yep, at least until we get too old," Ranma said.

Herb shuddered and looked at Akane with new respect. Then a thought struck her and she asked, "Does my personality change? Will this cause me to like men?"

Ranma chuckled and replied, "How come that's always the first question that gets asked. As far as we can tell, I don't change much. I'm a little more open with my emotions, but that might be because of how I was raised. Pop always taught me that men don't show their emotions, not that he obeys that rule, so it's easier for me like this still."

"And as far as liking guys, probably not. Granted, physically you are female, but your mind still is male. So while your body may want to react, your mind won't let it. At least that's what we think," Akane said.

"That's how it's been for me at any rate, even when I had guys chasing after me, that didn't do anything for me. Well, except for making me sick. I'm only attracted to women, no matter which gender I am," Ranma added.

Herb still looked troubled as she pulled herself out of the hot water. As she dried off, and dressed, she said, "I see this is much worse of a curse than I thought it was. Thank you for sharing with me what you have. Once again, I am in your debt."

Ranma said sharply, "Herb, don't think of it as a curse. Seriously, that could be one of the worst things that you could do. This is still new to you, so I don't expect you to be as comfortable with this as I am. It took me long enough. We'll help you as best we can, but most of this will have to be you."

"I think I'll turn in for the evening. You've given me a lot to think about. I'll talk more in the morning. Of course, we'll have Mint and Lime to deal with," Herb said. She waved and headed toward her pavilion as the sun began to sink behind the high mountains surrounding them.

* * *

The next morning, the sky was promising a gorgeous day, as the puffy white clouds floated across the azure sky. Ranma and Akane made their way to the fire, after striking their tent and putting everything back in their packs. 

Herb watched as the two girls approached her, and said, "Good morning, Ranma, Akane. Did you sleep well? I seem to recall some loud noises last night."

Akane blushed and replied, "Once we got to sleep, I was out like a light."

"Sorry," Ranma mumbled, her face equally red, "I thought we were quiet."

Herb giggled and said, "Well, don't forget, I am a descendent of dragons, and we do have good hearing."

Ranma shook her head in disbelief and then asked, "What other abilities did you pick up? I mean, that you wouldn't mind telling me. I already know that you're pretty fast, probably even faster than I am as a guy, and plenty strong. Some of those blows yesterday would have hurt if they had landed."

Herb looked thoughtfully at Ranma for a few minutes, the silence stretching out between them. Finally she sighed and said, "Well, when I'm a guy, I can do ki attacks."

"What's being a guy have to do with that?" Akane asked, "I can do that and I'm a girl. Ranma can do it when he is a she. So gender shouldn't have anything to do with it."

Herb's eyes widened as she listened. She stammered, "I tried once and it didn't work. I just assumed that I couldn't after that."

"Do you use confidence as the basic emotion?" Ranma asked softly, "If so, you didn't have faith in your ability and therefore you failed."

Akane smirked at her husband and said, "As someone once told me, don't think, just do."

Ranma smirked back at her and said sweetly, "A very wise person as I remember."

Akane looked around and asked, "Where are Mint and Lime?"

Herb looked murderous and replied, "A long way from here. I woke up this morning feeling kind of twitchy. They wanted to see my breasts and touch them, the perverts. I sort of overreacted, and well, they went flying."

Ranma arched an eyebrow at her wife and said, "That sounds familiar."

"And well, you were right about how long I've been a girl. It started," Herb added.

Ranma looked at the neo-girl with sympathy. "With any luck, we'll be at the mountain in another day or so. Then we'll find that artifact and get you unlocked. You'll still have to turn back to being a girl until things have run their course," she said.

"And since you sent your servants to who knows where, now you'll have to pack up all of your things and carry them yourself," Akane teased.

"I doubt it. Those two will be here soon, they never want to miss a meal," Herb replied. Sure enough, they soon heard the sounds of the two retainers as they bickered on their way to the campsite.

"Master Ranma, were you in pain last night?" Mint asked as he neared the three girls.

Ranma shook her head and said, "No, neither of us was in pain."

"That's odd, I distinctly heard someone moaning and I thought it was from your tent," Lime said.

Akane and Ranma traded looks, as their faces turned red.

"Er yes, why don't we finish eating," Ranma said quickly, "We have a long way to go today."

"Can we see your boobies?" Mint asked.

Ranma closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "Granted, I haven't been the poster child for modesty since I got this curse, but that's not something you ask a girl. Or in our case, a guy cursed to turn into a girl," she said in a completely flat voice, void of any emotion, "And don't even think of asking Akane. If she doesn't kill you, I will."

"But why should you care? It's not your real body," Lime asked, "Are you embarrassed by them?"

"Lime," Ranma growled, her anger becoming apparent, "It IS my body. Whether I like it or not, it is something that I will live with the rest of my life."

Mint pouted and said, "We never get to have any fun."

"Tell you what, if you want to see breasts so badly, why don't you go to Jusenkyo and jump in the spring of drowned girl. Then you can see them to your hearts content. All you have to do is add cold water!" Herb said angrily.

"Why don't you two make yourself useful and pack up the rest of the campsite," Ranma suggested, her tone making it clear that it wasn't a suggestion.

Mint and Lime took one look at her and paled. They could almost hear the power rolling off of her, it was so intense. Their skin tingled with electricity from her battle ki as it glowed around her body.

"I think that's a good idea. What do you think Lime?" Mint said as he stood up.

"Excellent plan, let's go, we don't really need to eat," Lime replied in agreement. The two ran to the large pavilion and quickly started striking the campsite.

* * *

Author's Notes: Thank for all of the reviews. Sorry for the length of time between updates, I was having too much fun writing my other story I guess, and let this one slip away. I'll try to do better. As always, constructive comments are encouraged, they help make me a better writer. 


	56. Just Add Water

Chapter 56 Just Add Water

Nabiki backed out of the furoba, her face pale, hoping that the occupants had not seen her intrusion.

Kasumi walked by, heading to the kitchen, and saw her sister. "Oh dear, what's the matter?" Kasumi asked, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Nabiki closed her eyes as if to banish something and replied, "I've been scarred for life. Oh why didn't I pay attention? I was too lost in my own thoughts."

"You're starting to scare me, Nabiki. What happened?" Kasumi asked.

"It's not my fault. They didn't put the sign out saying they were in there," Nabiki muttered. Finally, she realized that Kasumi was there and asked, "Were you saying something?"

"What happened to get you so rattled? This isn't like you. You're always so calm and collected," Kasumi asked.

"Daddy and Hinako, in the furo, naked in the furo," Nabiki said, rubbing her eyes as if to rid them of the image they had seen.

Kasumi giggled, and said, "Well, they are getting married soon."

"But, they're too old to have sex!" Nabiki wailed.

"Obviously not from the way you're acting. He's not that old really, and she's still in her twenties," Kasumi said with a grin. She frowned slightly and said, "Though it really isn't proper to be in the furo while they are doing that. Oh my, I guess I'll have to chastise Daddy for his behavior."

"But," Nabiki tried to say.

Kasumi frowned slightly at her and said, "What he does isn't really any of our business, now is it? It isn't proper for them not to wait until they are wed, but they are both adults and we can't tell them not to. Just let it go."

Nabiki hung her head and said, "I know that what you are saying is true. It was just a shock to me to find out. Parents aren't supposed to do that."

"Well, if that's the case, why are you born? Or Akane? Where did you think you came from anyway?" Kasumi asked.

"Okay, you've made your point. I'm not stupid you know," Nabiki replied waspishly. She decided to quit while she was behind and asked, "So how's the mother-to-be?"

Kasumi shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I feel fine. I'm not that far along yet, but so far no morning sickness."

"That's good," Nabiki said as she let her sister lead her into the kitchen and pour them some tea.

* * *

Ranma cast a wary eye at the late afternoon sky. The wind was beginning to pick up, and she thought she saw flashes of lightning in the distance. They had not made nearly the distance that she had hoped to come when they had set out that morning. Mint and Lime were continually slowing them down, darting off any time they saw a new woman, or ogling one of the three girls, or apparent girls, traveling with them. She sighed heavily and glanced around the clearing that she had just entered. She said, "This looks about as far as we should come today. Let's make camp." 

Herb stalked into the clearing, her face set in a rigid mask. She turned to her retainers and barked out, "Get my tent set up, and then stay out of my sight."

Mint and Lime paled and ran over to one end of the clearing and began setting up the large pavilion.

Ranma began setting up the tent she shared with Akane, while her fuming wife walked over to Herb.

"I'm getting pretty irritated with those two," Akane spat, her eyes flashing, "I swear, if they ask me about my breasts one more time, I'm, ARGHHHH!"

"I understand," Herb said wearily, her shoulders slumped. She wiped one hand across her face, as she said, softly, "I'm beginning to think more and more favorably about carrying out that threat I made yesterday."

Akane smirked and said, "Well, I found something interesting in my pack this morning. Apparently someone, probably Cologne since she's the only one that I know of that would have some, slipped some of her Instant Nyannichuan powder into it. Just add water, and pour. Poof, instant girls. Of course, hot water will change them back."

"Not if I use the Chiisuiton on them," Herb said, a smile appearing on her face.

The two of them shared a smile. Ranma watched from where she was setting up the tent, wondering what plot the two of them were hatching. Once she was done, she joined them and asked, "What are we going to do about those two?"

Akane rapidly explained what they had talked about. Ranma grinned and then asked, "So, how are you planning on doing it?"

Herb giggled and replied, "Well, I was just wondering if there was a way it could be a surprise."

Ranma smirked and said, "Cologne gave me a sleeping potion in case you had trouble sleeping. She was afraid that you might have trouble with your curse."

"I like the way you two think," Herb said, "So, you'll slip it in what they are drinking for dinner."

"Yeah, it takes a few minutes to act from what she said," Ranma replied, then she asked, "How are you doing? I'm sure today had to be a bit weird for you."

"I can handle a little pain," Herb replied, "But yes, I've felt just a bit moody and irritable all day."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Ranma said wryly.

Akane thought, 'This is really, really odd.'

* * *

Mint slowly opened his eyes, hearing a strange whistling sound coming from his right. He rolled over, and then wondered, 'How did I get in bed? The last thing I remember is eating dinner.' His eyes widened as he saw a strange girl, with an odd shade of green hair, sleeping on the pallet next to him. 'Why is there a girl in Lime's bed? And look at the size of those boobies!' he thought. "H-e," he began, only to clutch his throat as he realized there was something wrong about his voice. He was talking at least an octave higher than he normally did. 

"Who," the girl began, only to have her clutch her throat.

The girl tried again and asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Mint, who are you?" Mint replied.

"But, you're a g-girl," the girl stammered.

Mint sat up and glanced down, only to shriek. A pair of unfamiliar mounds was on his chest. He pushed the hair off of his face, wondering when it became dirty blonde. He pulled open his shirt to discover that those unfamiliar mounds were indeed a pair of small breasts, and then he realized from the looseness of his boxers that something was missing. Indeed, overnight, he had turned into a she. Mint turned to the girl and whispered, "Lime?"

The girl nodded her head and asked, "Am I one too?"

Mint could only nod her head, words failing her.

"What happened to us?" Lime asked, "How did it happen?"

"Do you think because we kept asking to see Master Herb's boobies that the gods cursed us?" Mint asked, a hint of panic in her voice.

Lime shrugged her shoulders, and said, "OUCH!" She rolled over onto her back and said, "These things are flopping around. How does Master Herb handle this?"

"So let me see, what do they look like? Mine are small," Mint said.

Then from outside of their small tent, they heard Master Herb call, "Mint? Lime? Are you two awake? We need to get back on the trail if we are to reach Treasure Mountain."

"Yes, Master Herb," Mint called.

"Do you have a woman in there with you?" Herb asked, a hint of something in her voice.

"No, well, yes, I mean, I don't know," Mint wailed as she crawled off of her pallet, looking for a change of clothing. She tripped over Lime who was attempting to do the same.

"That's a woman's voice if ever I heard it!" Herb exclaimed.

"That's my shirt," Lime hissed as she grabbed the garment. The two of them played tug-of-war with the shirt, until with a horrendous rip, it parted, spilling Lime to the ground, and Mint outside the tent, dressed in only her light t-shirt and boxers.

"Hello, young lady, who are you and why are you corrupting my retainers?" Herb asked, thanking whatever gods there were that she was able to keep a straight face.

"M-m-master Herb, I'm, uh, I'm Mint," Mint stammered, "But, I mean, I don't know how this happened." She scrambled to her feet, only to feel her boxers begin to hang precariously on her hips, barely maintaining a semblance of modesty.

"Mint?" Herb asked in feigned surprise, "What happened to you? Where's Lime?"

"Here, Master Herb," the green-haired girl said as she crawled out of the tent, her clothing hanging loosely on her.

Ranma and Akane walked up, holding hands. "Who are these girls?" Akane asked, her eyes dancing with mirth.

"Well, apparently, the green-haired girl is Lime, and the blonde is Mint," Herb said, just before she broke out laughing.

"I guess now you can look at breasts to your hearts content," Ranma said, her lips twitching.

"But it's not the same when their mine," Mint whined.

"Never mind that for now. You need to get dressed so we can eat and get out of here," Herb said once she caught her breath.

"But, Master Herb, I'm not sure I have any thing that will fit me," Mint wailed.

Herb merely sniffed disdainfully and said, "Find something." She turned and headed back to the fire, followed closely by the other three, while Mint dove back into her tent.

"Master Herb, this is so embarrassing, but how do you keep these things from bouncing around?" Lime asked, looking down on her impressive chest, which appeared to be even larger than Ranma's.

"Well, normally, I'd suggest a bra, but none of us are as big as you," Akane replied, with a grin.

"Lime could try one of my sport bras," Ranma suggested, "It might not be too snug." She walked over to her tent and brought out a garment that Lime had never seen before. "Okay, take your shirt off, and let's see if this will work," Ranma said, while Akane and Herb hid smiles.

Lime looked at her uncertainly and then said, "Well, it's not like you don't know what these look like." She unbuttoned the shirt, which was barely adequate to the task of concealing her chest, anyway, and took it off.

"Oh my," Ranma said as she walked over to Lime and helped her put the bra on.

"You know, this could give me a massive inferiority complex. How come you neo-girls end up being bigger than me?" Akane teased.

"I think you're perfect just the way you are," Ranma said, as she watched Lime struggle to put her shirt back on.

"Mint, quit looking at yourself and get out here!" Herb called.

A red-faced Mint crawled out of the tent, then she bent down to finish rolling up the legs of her pants so that they wouldn't drag the ground. "I'm shorter, thinner, and nothing fits," she complained as she walked over to join them.

* * *

Ranma waited at the foot of a long, wooden bridge that was spanning a chasm between the hill she was on and a misty mountain towering over the low foothill for Herb to catch up to her, a wicked smile on her face. She asked, "Are you planning on coming back to Nerima? If so, I think letting Elder Cologne train them as Amazon women for a few weeks might be fun." 

Herb frowned for a moment in thought and then replied, "I think I can make the time. The three of us could train together while she runs them ragged." She soon wore a smile that matched Ranma's.

Akane caught up and asked, "What are you two smirking about?"

"Oh, just thought that maybe dumb and dumber might enjoy being taught by Cologne," Ranma replied.

The three girls looked at each other and began to giggle. "I guess that means you don't intend to unlock them when we get the Kai-sui-fu," Akane said, one eyebrow raised.

"No, I don't think so," Herb replied. She turned to Ranma and asked, "So how much farther?"

Ranma pointed to the sign affixed to the bridge which read, 'Treasure Mountain,' and replied, "We're here. We just need to cross this bridge, and find the teakettle. My guess is it's at the top somewhere, but you ought to check once we get across. But be on your guard. If I remember correctly, there are odd rumors about horrible monsters up there."

The three of them ran across the bridge, only to stop as it ended at a steep cliff. "Straight up," Ranma said.

"Yep, looks that way," Akane added.

"You two up for this?" Herb asked.

Ranma shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Sure, we can do this."

* * *

Herb landed gracefully on the top of the cliff, quickly followed by Ranma and a slightly out-of-breath Akane. 

"Well, we made it," Ranma said, as she looked over the edge, "And Mint and Lime are about half-way up." She chuckled for a moment and said, "Looks like Lime is gonna regret turning into a girl. She keeps forgetting how top-heavy she is right now."

Akane looked down carefully, and winced as she watched the green-haired girl once more forget and slam chest first into the cliff face.

"I've got some of the bruise cream in my backpack," Ranma said, "Should we give it to Mint to use on Lime?"

They turned again and saw that a dense thicket covered the ground only a dozen feet from the edge of the cliff. The three girls started toward a small opening in the thicket, only to stop at a shout as first Mint and then Lime clambered to the top. "Master Herb, wait!" the still unfamiliar contralto voice cried.

"Just get over here," Herb said, "I'd like to find that kettle while there is still daylight."

Suddenly, from the bushes, they started hearing strange noises, and then noticed dozens of pairs of eyes peeking at them through the leaves. Then the bushes began to rustle.

"Could those be the monsters?" Akane asked, her eyes wide.

Ranma shrugged and replied, "Could be, but does it really matter?" She headed toward the noises, only to be rudely shoved aside by Lime, who pulled a tree out of the ground and swung it as a club, and by Mint, who had pulled a wicked looking sword and was swinging it the other way. In short order, the underbrush had been cleared, revealing a horde of monkeys, cowering in fear.

"Monkeys!" Herb spat in fury.

"Those are the monsters?" Akane asked in disbelief.

The monkeys took one look at the five females confronting them and began to edge backwards, knowing instinctively that they were no match for them.

With a glare in her eyes, Herb stepped forward and raised her left hand. She concentrated for a moment and then a blinding ball of light shot forward and struck the cowering beasts, sending many of them flying away to land with a loud thump.

"Uh, Master Herb, they were already retreating," Lime said.

"That did look unnecessarily cruel," Mint added in agreement.

Herb glared at them and snapped, "Shut up! Just seeing a monkey's face makes me sick." She stormed down the path without a backward glance.

The other four looked at each other and quickly followed until they found Herb standing in a large clearing, staring off into the distance.

Lime set her pack down on the ground, and hunted through it, finally emerging in triumph with the Chiisuiton, which appeared to be a ladle and a bucket. She set the bucket on the ground and then carefully placed the ladle on the handle. Mint wandered off a ways and began setting up a tent.

Lime shook her head and said, "Not even a twitch. There's no reaction to this vicinity."

Herb's face fell for a moment and then she sighed, "I see."

"Master Herb, your tent is ready," Mint called.

"Excellent. You two continue to search for the Kai-sui-fu while I rest. I need to save my power when I can," Herb ordered.

"We'll stay and keep you company," Ranma said. She frowned as she snuck a peak at Akane and saw that she was still a bit winded. Ranma said, "That climb took a bit more out of me than I realized."

Akane flashed a half-angry, half-grateful look at her husband.

Ranma began putting up their tent, while Herb disappeared into the pavilion, presumably to take a nap.

Mint picked up the ladle and the bucket, and then she and Lime walked off.

"Ranma, I can't decide if I should be mad at you for letting me rest, or glad that you picked up that I needed to," Akane said.

Ranma smirked at her and said, "Well, which one gets me a hug and a kiss?"

"Being glad," Akane said as she sashayed over to her, exaggerating her hip motion.

"Well then I hope your glad," Ranma said, licking her lips, as she watched Akane walk toward her.

* * *

Lime stopped suddenly and turned to glare at Mint. "What is with you?" she snapped, "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" 

"Like what?" Mint asked innocently, setting the pail down and carefully placing the ladle in its proper position.

"Don't give me that, you keep sneaking peeks at me out of the corner of your eyes when you think I'm not watching," Lime said.

"Can I touch you?" Mint asked brashly.

Lime frowned slightly and replied, "No, I'm too sore. I think I bruised them from all the falling down I did."

"Um, I never thought of that. These bodies aren't as tough as our male bodies to begin with, and well, I noticed that my breasts are very soft," Mint said.

"You pervert, you touched yourself," Lime said.

"Like you didn't when you got dressed this morning," Mint accused, her face red.

Whatever response Lime might have made to that, the world will never know, for at that moment, the ladle began to spin on top of the pail. Faster and faster it spun.

"The ladle, it's moving by itself!" Mint exclaimed.

Suddenly, the ladle stopped and a beam of blinding light shot out of the bowl, pointing straight up a steep rise and hitting an odd-shaped rock formation on the top of the hill. Looking closer, the rock looked like a teakettle.

"We found it!" Lime exclaimed, "Hurry back to Master Herb!" The two of them started running back to the campsite.

* * *

Akane jerked upright out of her husband's arms and exclaimed, "What was that?" 

Herb ran out of her pavilion and exclaimed, "That is the light of awakening emitted by all treasures of the Musk Dynasty!"

Ranma finished buttoning up her shirt and sat up. "That's wonderful, Prince Herb. Now you can get your curse unlocked," she said happily.

Herb took off running toward the beam of light, leaving Ranma and Akane behind for a moment as they traded grins.

"Eager, isn't she?" Ranma quipped as they followed Herb. After several minutes they found her standing next to the Chiisuiton, staring avidly at a strange kettle-shaped rock, the spout of which was glowing brightly.

"So that is where the treasure lies," Herb said.

"I wonder where the other two are," Akane said, looking around in bewilderment.

Ranma shrugged her shoulders and said, "They probably ran back to the campsite, and we managed to miss each other somehow."

Once again, Herb raised her left hand and concentrated. With a loud cry of "Hyaaa!" she pointed her fingers at the rock and a bolt of energy flew from her and slammed into the tip of the spout with a large "CRACK!" For a moment nothing happened and then the rock began to shatter, large chunks falling down and exposing a hollow place. Once the dust and stone settled, they saw a large kettle suspended on a chain from a wooden structure.

"Behold! The secret treasure! The Kai-sui-fu!" Herb proclaimed.

Suddenly, they heard an odd sound, and felt a rumble in the ground. The hill began to shake, when suddenly water came pouring out of the spout, spilling down in a waterfall, steam rising as it hit the ground, filling up the depression between them and the hillside.

"Hot water!" Ranma exclaimed.

"Hm, no doubt the subterranean springs bottled up by the boulder boiled over because of the Kai-su-fu," Herb said slowly, "In other words, this waterfall is the mystical hot water that will nullify the form-fixing ability of the Chiisuiton."

"Then go for it," Akane breathed.

Herb stared transfixed at the waterfall, and then said, softly, "At long last, I can return to my previous form." She walked slowly forward until her figure was lost in the falling sheet of water.

Ranma and Akane held their breath, hoping that this would cure Herb. Several moments passed, and then, a much taller person walked out, as Herb once again appeared, but this time as male.

Herb rushed towards them, a huge grin on his face. "At last, I am back!" he exclaimed.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Akane asked, pointing to the Kai-sui-fu.

Herb chuckled and said, "So I did. I was just so excited about having my real body back. Now, no longer in female form, I can blast energy like a man!" He held up his hand and cried, "Flying Sword of the Dragon!" He swung his arm like an axe at the rock above

"WOW! Ki that cuts like a knife! You've got to show me how to do that!" Ranma exclaimed as the boulder was sliced neatly from the crown of the hill. They watched as it rolled down the side of the hill, coming to rest with a large crash.

Akane walked over and picked up the Chiisuiton, while Ranma ran over and retrieved the Kai-sui-fu.

The three of them started heading back to the campsite, until Herb pulled up, and grabbed his side.

"What's wrong?" Akane asked.

"Damn cramp," Herb replied.

"Uh, Prince Herb, I hate to remind you, but you are having your monthly visitor," Ranma said softly, handing him a canteen.

Herb sighed and poured the water over his head, triggering the change. Once the transformation was complete, she sighed once again, but this time in relief. "You were right, my friend, the pain is gone. I could have handled it of course, but I remember you telling me it only gets worse if I try to stay male," Herb said.

They heard the sound of two female voices bickering as they neared the campsite. With a heavy sigh, Herb walked in to separate the two women. "What are you two doing?" she roared.

"Master Herb," Mint squeaked, as she saw the Kai-sui-fu in Ranma's hand, "Did you not get cured?"

"Fool, the Kai-sui-fu only unlocks my curse, it won't remove it," Herb replied, "Now what are you two squabbling about?"

"Well, when we came to find you, you weren't here. So we were arguing about how to find you and show you where the treasure was. Mint wanted me to stay here and wait in case you had wandered off," Lime said, "And I thought that he, I mean she, should stay here while I hunted for you."

Herb's jaw dropped as Ranma and Akane broke out into a fit of giggling. "Y-you mean the two of you have been arguing about this for the last ten or so minutes?" Herb finally managed to say, her composure shot, "What are you, a pair of fishwives or warriors of the Musk Dynasty?"

Ranma looked at the position of the sun in the sky and asked, "Not to break up the fun, but what do you want to do? Try to get down that cliff or stay here for the evening?"

Herb glanced at the sky and replied, "I think we'd be better off staying up here. I don't want to get caught on that bridge at dusk."

"Works for me," Ranma replied, "Then tomorrow, we can start heading back to Nerima. You ought to talk some more with Cologne now that you've joined our happy club."

"My people know a lot about the cursed springs, Ranma," Herb said proudly.

"Not saying that you don't. She can tell you what she knows though, which if nothing else will give you the Amazon slant on things," Ranma replied, with an apologetic smile.

* * *

Ranma nudged Akane with her elbow as Mint and Lime dragged themselves out of their tent. Mint was sporting multiple bruises, not to mention a black eye, while Lime's battle aura was still glowing faintly about her body. 

"What happened there?" Herb asked, one elegant eyebrow raised in enquiry.

"Stupid fool just wouldn't take no for an answer," Lime muttered angrily. She turned and spart, "This is all your fault in the first place. If you hadn't angered the gods by being so perverted about Master Herb, Master Ranma and Mistress Akane, they wouldn't have changed us into women. If you want to look at a pair of breasts, take your own shirt off and quit trying to grab mine."

"Lime, you were just as persistent as Mint," Herb said, "So you have no one but yourself to blame for what happened."

Lime looked abashed and said, "Yes, Master Herb. It's just, that Mint!" She stormed over to the small campfire and growled, "And to think I used to like Mint!" as she stamped her foot on the ground.

"Mint, if you can't keep your urges or your hands to yourself, you'll never get rid of that body," Herb warned.

"Yes Master Herb," Mint said as she bowed low to the ground. She returned to the tent and began taking it down, noticing that hers was the only tent still standing.

"Does this mean that you think I can get back to normal?" Lime asked hopefully.

Herb shrugged her shoulders and replied, "If this was indeed a punishment from the gods, then perhaps if you learn your lesson, they will relent. Beyond that, I can make no promises."

"Perhaps, this time, we should go by train back to Nerima," Akane suggested, "And let these two know what it is like to be ogled."

Herb considered that for a moment and replied, "That is an interesting suggestion. It might drive the lesson home."

* * *

Author's Notes: Thank you for all of the comments about this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged. Specific comments are below, though I can't reply to all of them. 

Shaid: Welcome aboard. If you haven't tried my other stories, you might take a look in my profile. Nodoka and Genko will be showing up as often as I can.

Xero Reflux Strike: Well, you sort of got your wish, I guess.

Wonderbee31: They are a pair of idiots aren't they? Need to learn a lesson about looking and not touching.

Shinigami: Yep, next chapter with Cologne should be fun. And I like the idea of a biology lesson. VBG

Borg rabbit: I always pictured Genma as sort of a walking chaos engine, everywhere he went disasters occurred.

Dragon Man 180: If you can't bring the boys to the spring, bring the spring to the boys. And there should be at least one more chapter with them.


	57. A Blessed Event

Chapter 57 A Blessed Event

Lime was still boiling in anger as she stalked off of the train at the Nerima station. "How dare they, those perverts?" she said, her eyes flashing, remembering the man who had pinched her as she walked by him in the aisle.

Ranma rolled her eyes at Akane who simply giggled. "Don't much like being on the other end of being ogled and groped, do you?" Ranma asked.

"I didn't realize how offensive that was," Lime admitted, "Being thought of as a piece of, um, meat."

"Exactly," Akane replied, "Being stared at isn't much fun, but being groped is so much worse. I don't know of many girls who honestly like that."

If Lime had been furious when she walked off the train, Mint was Mount Krakatoa to her candle. The anger boiling off of her was enough energy to run Tokyo for nearly a whole day.

"What's wrong with her?" Ranma asked innocently enough.

"She's mad because she didn't get groped," Herb said, with an amused expression on her face.

"You know there's something seriously wrong with that statement, and I don't even know where to start," Ranma said.

"Tell me about it," Akane said, looking slightly ill at the thought. Then she frowned, and said, "You know, neither one of us got touched at all. I wonder why that was, not that I'm actually complaining mind you."

Herb chuckled and said, with amusement, "Maybe because you were draped all over Ranma on the train, in fact if you had been any closer to her you would have been in her lap. And then Ranma had that whole don't fu, I mean, mess around with me look on her face. It even would have scared me off."

Ranma grinned at Akane sheepishly as she nudged her in the side. "Being a bit protective of me, were you?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess I always will be," Ranma admitted. She glanced back over at Mint and said, "Mint doesn't seem to be learning the lesson that we had hoped to teach very well."

"No, it isn't sinking in very fast. I don't see a cure for him, or rather her, in the near future. On the other hand, Lime seems to have gotten it reasonably well," Herb said softly.

"Where to, Master Herb?" Lime asked, as she approached with her share of the luggage.

"It's probably time to introduce you to Elder Cologne," Ranma suggested.

Herb pondered that for a moment and then replied, "I agree. It would be somewhat lacking in manners for me to be in Nerima and not pay my respects to one of the chief elders of the Joketsuzoku."

"That's settled then," Ranma said, "We'll take you by the café, and introduce you to her."

"The café?" Akane asked in surprise.

"Yeah, she's there right now, instead of at the embassy. Don't you remember, Shampoo was going on another trip with Taro, so Cologne and Mousse agreed to run the restaurant while they were gone?" Ranma replied.

"Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten that," Akane admitted. She looked over at Herb and asked, "You are still planning on staying for a while, aren't you? I know that we would like to train with you some more."

"Yeah, Prince Herb. Yesterday morning was a lot of fun, though I guess we got a bit carried away," Ranma agreed.

Herb grinned and said, "Yes, I think we will. You are one of the few people that I can spar with, Ranma, and not worry about holding back. And your wife seems to be able to hold her own against these two."

"Excellent," Ranma said rubbing her hands together in satisfaction.

* * *

"Mommy, where's Big Brother? I didn't see him yesterday," Genko asked when she came down for breakfast. 

"Ranma and Akane went on a trip to help a friend of theirs," Nodoka replied calmly, "They'll be back in a few days, I suppose, unless they take a day or two extra to train."

"I miss him, he and Akane are fun to play with," Genko whined.

"Patience, little one," Nodoka said softly, "You need to hurry and eat so you can get to school this morning."

Genko sighed heavily and knelt down at the table. "Yes, Mommy," she said with a sad expression on her face.

Nodoka turned to the television set that was sitting on the counter as she heard the words, 'Treasure Mountain.' She watched as the announcer talked about how the residents of the valley below had seen flares of light, and that apparently the top of the mountain had been blown apart yesterday. She gasped, "Treasure Mountain, that's where Ranma and Akane went. I hope they're all right."

* * *

Cologne looked up from the counter where she was sitting as the door to her great granddaughter's restaurant opened and five people walked in. The first two were her friends Ranma and Akane Saotome, but then her eyes widened as she realized that the next two were dressed as warriors of the Musk dynasty, but couldn't be, since they were both women. The fifth figure was covered in a cloak, but something in the way the figure moved told her that it was also female. 

"Hello, Cologne," Akane said in greeting, "We've brought some friends by."

Cologne nodded in greeting and asked, "Who are they child?"

"Elder Cologne, this is Prince Herb, of the Musk Dynasty," Ranma said, pointing to the cloaked figure, "And the green-haired girl is Lime and the other is Mint, also warriors of the Musk Dynasty. Prince Heb, this is Elder Cologne."

"Prince Herb?" Cologne repeated, except with a question. 'So the story that my great granddaughter told me was indeed true,' she thought.

Herb pulled the hood back off of her hair, and grinned wryly. "Yes, Prince Herb," she said softly, yet proudly, "However, I seem to have run afoul of the cursed valley of Jusenkyo."

"Shampoo told me your tale," Cologne said, "Were you successful in finding your artifact?"

"Yes, fortunately for me, we were indeed successful," Herb said, "And I am now no longer locked in this form. But, unfortunately, I have been female for over a month, and well,"

"Oh dear, I believe I understand," Cologne said. She looked puzzled for a moment and then asked, "However, Shampoo didn't say anything about your retainers having the same curse. What is their story?"

"All I know, Elder Cologne, is that we woke up one morning like this," Mint explained.

Lime added, "I believe that it is punishment for our behavior. As you may know, our people separate the boy children from the tribe at an early age, and train us as warriors."

"Yes, yes, I know that," Cologne snapped impatiently, "I didn't get to be this old without learning all that there is to know about the people in our area."

"Sorry, Elder. Anyway, when we followed Master Herb, we discovered that women existed, instead of being the rumor that we had been told. Anyway, we, er, well."

"They were being major perverts," Akane growled, "always wanting to see my chest, or Herb's or Ranma's for that matter."

"As Mistress Akane said, we were punished for our lack of respect for the female form," Lime said.

"That is an odd turn of phrase," Herb said, "It sounds like you have been thinking about this for a while."

"Yes, Master Herb, but it really is just an outgrowth of our early training. Remember our teacher always telling us to respect our bodies? Well, this is my body now, so other people should treat it with the respect that it deserves," Lime said.

"It seems to me that you may have learned whatever lesson the gods were attempting to show you," Cologne said, with a straight face.

"Cologne, Prince Herb plans on staying on here in Nerima for a while, and I was wondering," Ranma began.

"Speaking for Shampoo, she would be honored if he chose to grace her humble establishment," Cologne said.

"Where is my sister, anyway?" Ranma asked.

"Oh, she and Taro went on a trip," Cologne replied, "That's why I'm here actually, to run the restaurant while she's gone. Mousse is trying to help, but to be honest, I think he'd rather be spending more time with Nabiki Tendo."

"Well, in that case, I think we have two waitresses for you, don't we, Mint and Lime?" Herb said with a grin. She turned to the two of them and said, "You will obey Elder Cologne as you obey me. I will be off with Ranma and Akane while we train together."

"Yes, Master Herb," the two retainers echoed.

Cologne cackled and said, "Well, in that case, we need to do something about a uniform. What you are wearing just will not do. Then, while they are changing, I need to talk to you, Prince Herb." She led the two girls upstairs, returning shortly by herself. "Okay, now how exactly did they get cursed?" Cologne asked, looking directly at Akane.

"All three of us got real tired of them trying to cop a feel, or wanting to see our breasts," Akane explained.

"So we decided that they needed to be taught a lesson. We used the Instant Nyannichuan powder to give them a temporary curse, and then Prince Herb used the Chiisuiton to lock it," Ranma added.

Prince Herb grinned and said, "And I'm not going to unlock it until they understand what it's like being treated like a piece of meat. In fact, I was thinking a couple of months would work real well. Though, it sounds like Lime is beginning to understand already."

Cologne cackled for several moments. "I haven't had this much fun in ages." Then she turned serious and said, "Prince Herb, you seem to be taking the fact that you turn into a girl much better than I had expected."

Herb frowned slightly and replied, "Yes, I suppose I could have been an arrogant ass about the whole thing. But I've had a bit of time to get used to being a girl, and since there doesn't appear to be a cure; I need to accept that this will be a part of my life. These two have helped me understand that just because my body changes form doesn't mean that I'm any different inside. I'm still the same person. I owe them that, and that's one of the reasons that I'm sticking around for a while." The three of them fell silent as they heard the sound of the two girls returning.

Ranma and Akane giggled as Mint and Lime walked in. Lime was dressed, more or less, mostly less, in one of Shampoo's outfits, filling it out even better than the buxom Amazon did, and since she was taller, showing much more leg. Mint's eyes were slightly glazed, and a faint trickle of blood was coming from her nose, as she watched Lime bounce around.

"Ranma, why don't you and Akane take the Prince upstairs and show her where everything is," Cologne ordered.

"Shampoo's old room for Prince Herb, I suppose?" Ranma asked.

"Of course," Cologne said. She turned to Mint and Lime and said, "Okay, now you two follow me into the kitchen." The three of them walked through the curtained doorway at the back of the dining room.

"Well, you heard the Elder. Let's show you around," Akane said cheerfully as she led the way upstairs.

"Am I kicking this Shampoo out of her own room?" Herb asked, "I would not want to do that."

"Oh, no, she actually lives with her husband at my mother's house," Ranma explained.

"Our family is a little weird," Akane added, "Mom seems to adopt people pretty easily. When Shampoo got married, Mom was in her house basically by herself and insisted that they move in. And usually what Ranma's mom wants, she gets."

"She still has some of her stuff here," Ranma said, as she opened the door to the room, revealing a good-sized bedroom, at least by Japanese standards, with a futon big enough for two people at one end of the room, and a small dresser opposite.

"The next door down is a Western style bathroom, with a shower, I believe," Akane said.

Herb smiled faintly and said, "Thank you, my friends. I owe you a debt of gratitude for what you have done for me."

"You would have found the kettle," Ranma replied.

"Probably. But I wouldn't have realized that these," Herb said, as she touched her breasts, "don't define me. Who I am hasn't changed just because I turn into a girl. And I learned that watching the two of you. Akane, you treat your husband the same, no matter what gender he may be. Ranma, you just don't care."

"That's not completely true, Herb. When I am female like now, it's easier to show my emotions. Course, that could be because of the way I was raised by my wonderful father," Ranma said, "But, if I have helped you become, well, comfortable I guess for lack of a better word, with what happens, then good."

"Comfortable? Yes, I suppose that is the right word, or perhaps, accepting," Herb said softly, "Now, I'm sure you have family that is missing you."

Ranma and Akane flashed a quick smile, knowing a dismissal when they heard one. "We'll see you sometime tomorrow then," Ranma said as the two of them headed back downstairs.

* * *

Genko squealed with delight as she saw who was standing by the gate of her school that afternoon. With gay abandon, she came running, her little legs pumping for all they were worth and she sprang into her brother's arms. 

"Hey, did you miss me?" Ranma asked, with a smile.

"Uh huh," the little girl replied, as she hugged her brother around his neck.

Ranma said, "Not quite so tight, Genko. I do need to breathe."

Genko released the death grip she had on his neck, and allowed him to set her down on the ground.

Taking her by the hand, Ranma suggested, "Let's get you home. Mom and Akane are waiting for us there."

"Why were you gone so long?" Genko asked.

"It wasn't that long, just five days," Ranma said mildly, "You just have no patience."

"I do too have patience," Genko protested, then with an odd expression on her face, she asked, "Um, what is patience? Isn't that what they call people who go to the doctor?"

Ranma grinned. 'I like this little girl. I hope she doesn't change as she grows older,' he thought.

* * *

Herb walked down the stairs into the main part of the restaurant. After spending the remainder of the past week as a girl, he was very happy that he could now remain male. The young Amazon girl he remembered from his first visit to Nerima had shown up the day before, and word had quickly spread to the surrounding area that she was back. To his surprise, the restaurant was packed. He stood by the curtained doorway for a while, his lips curling up into a smile as Lime and Shampoo worked the crowd. The two of them were definitely trying to one-up each other in a friendly rivalry to see who could serve a table the quickest, and from somewhere, Lime had found an ability to flirt with the best of them. Mint had been relegated to the kitchen, where she was slaving over a hot stove, preparing vast quantities of ramen. 

Cologne hopped over to Herb and said, just loud enough to be heard over the roar of the busy establishment, "You do know that locking them as female will possibly give them the curse permanently, don't you?"

"No actually I didn't stop to think about what might happen. But to be honest, I don't really care," Herb said. With a chill smile, he added, "After all since their life is in my hand, why shouldn't their gender be?"

"I see that your father is indeed teaching you to rule, Prince Herb, but if this old woman could provide a word of caution," Cologne said hesitantly.

"Continue, Elder Cologne. Your reputation for wisdom has reached even our remote people," Herb said.

"I don't always follow this, but don't think of your people as disposable. If you treat them callously, they will grow to hate and despise you. If you treat them with dignity, they will grow to revere you," Cologne said. She stopped for a moment to observe his reaction and then added, "There is a western writer, Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote a book entitled 'The Prince' that you might wish to read. It is a very practical guide in how to exercise raw political power. Learn from his mistakes."

Herb looked at her thoughtfully and said, "So what you are saying is that I need to temper ruthlessness with mercy, and exercise my power carefully."

"Something like that," Cologne admitted.

* * *

Herb sat up in his bed and glanced over at the calendar hanging on the wall. Today was indeed the red letter day that he had circled. The last few weeks had flown past as he had trained with Akane and Ranma, while Mint and Lime endured the training that Cologne had put them through, teaching them all about how to behave as a girl. Well, except for one small detail that Herb had promised to discuss with them. He chuckled evilly as he waited for the inevitable explosion that he knew would occur soon from the small bedroom that his two retainers shared. He pondered the difference in their behavior. Lime had more or less embraced her feminity, even going so far as to only wear feminine attire, while Mint was still struggling with the fact that for now at least he was no longer a he. 

Suddenly a scream rent the quiet of the morning, as a smirk quickly appeared on Herb's face. He waited for a moment and then heard the thunder of someone knocking on his door. "Master Herb," came the panicked cry.

Herb sprang out of bed and walked to the door. He opened it to see Mint standing there. "Master, come quick. There's something wrong with Lime. There's blood all over her sheets. I think Lime is dying."

Herb frowned briefly and then asked in his most arrogant tone, "Did you two not read the family planning book I gave you?"

Mint hung her head in shame and said softly, "Well, no, I didn't. I mostly looked at the pictures."

"Mint, you have a girl's body! Aren't you at all interested in how it works?" Herb asked, as he walked into the bedroom the two girls shared. Lime was whimpering on the bed that the two girls shared, staring at the mess.

Herb sighed, and said, "You aren't dying Lime. This is perfectly natural and you should expect it to happen once a month."

Lime looked at her master and asked, "Is this what the book was calling a period?"

Herb nodded his head.

"I guess I wasn't paying attention to how long I'd been female," Lime said in a voice almost so low that Herb missed it. Lime glared at Mint and crawled out of the bed. She walked over to the dresser and pulled out a clean pair of panties and then turned to Herb. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you over this," she said softly, "I should have been better prepared."

"Go get yourself cleaned up, Lime," Herb said in a not unkind voice, "Shampoo said she left the appropriate supplies in the bathroom." He turned to Mint and suggested, "You might prepare for this also. You've been female just as long."

* * *

Ryoga looked lost as his wife continued to berate him. He wasn't sure exactly what had set her off this morning, but he was beginning to get used to her morning rants. The last month of her pregnancy had been the worst for both of them. And because of his poor sense of direction, he had been afraid to leave her side, even when she was demanding some weird food to satisfy her cravings. 

"I'm fat, I'm ugly, my skin is breaking out, I'm clumsy and it's all your fault," Ukyo screamed, "And you don't love me any more!" She grimaced slightly as she felt a pang.

"Ukyo, dear," Ryoga said, soothingly, "Of course I still love you. You're giving me, or rather us, the most precious gift anyone could give. You're not fat, you're pregnant. You're definitely not ugly, to me you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He looked concerned as another grimace appeared on her face.

"And I haven't seen my feet in weeks and I have heartburn all the time," Ukyo continuing her rant, completely ignoring her husband's attempt to calm her down. Then, suddenly, an odd look crossed her face. "Oh dear, oh my," she said, as a puddle formed below her. "Oh, Ryoga, it's time!" she exclaimed.

"You mean, right now," Ryoga began, as his face paled.

"Yes, right now. Get my suitcase and get me to the hospital!" Ukyo exclaimed. She began to babble, "What was I'm thinking? I'm too young to have a baby, to be a mommy. What am I doing?"

Ryoga took a deep breath and calmed himself down. In her present state of panic, Ukyo wouldn't be of any use. Quickly, he walked to the phone and dialed a number that he had written down just in case, and ordered a taxi. Then he dialed the Tendo home and exchanged a brief message with Nabiki, who had been the one to answer. She promised to spread the news. With those two important items out of the way, he turned to his wife and said, "Okay, just calm down. The cab will be here in ten or so minutes. That should give us enough time to clean you up a bit, and then we can go downstairs and wait."

Ukyo looked at him, amazed at him being able to take charge. She nodded dumbly and followed him back into the bath.

* * *

Ryoga watched anxiously as the midwife examined his wife. Finally she stood up and said with a smile, "Dearie, you're progressing nicely. You're nearly fully dilated. I'll be back in a little while." With that, she turned and walked out of the labor room, carefully closing the door behind her. 

"You know, I'd feel a lot better about that if she hadn't said the exact same thing for the last two hours," Ukyo said, as she grimaced again with another contraction. Ryoga avoided wincing as she crushed the hand that she was holding.

"Would you like some more ice chips?" Ryoga asked, trying to make himself feel useful. After all, he had mostly been standing there ever since they had arrived at the hospital and were whisked to this room. About the only thing he had been able to do is allow her to hold his hand, and occasionally give her some ice.

Ukyo licked her chapped lips and nodded. Ryoga walked over to where the glass of ice had been, only to find that it had melted. He picked up the glass and headed to the door, when suddenly the door opened, sending the glass soaring into the air, where it successfully poured the contents over his head, triggering his transformation.

The midwife bustled back in and stopped in shock. Instead of the young couple that she had just seen, a strange young woman was standing there, with very damp hair, wearing clothing that was identical to the clothing that the husband had been wearing. "Excuse me, miss, only immediate family can be in here right now. I'm going to have to ask you to go back to the waiting room," the midwife ordered.

"Ryoga, damn it, get back here," Ukyo groaned as another contraction hit.

"I don't have time to explain, I'm her husband, Ryoga," Ryoga said as she rushed back to hold Ukyo's hand.

"But," the midwife protested, only to fall silent at the glare she received from both of the two women. She came over and examined Ukyo again, and said, happily, "Excellent, dearie, you're at ten centimeters now. We can move you into the delivery room, but whatever you do, don't push." She walked to the door and opened it just enough to admit the young doctor that they had chosen after a great deal of discussion.

"Sensei, she's at ten," the midwife said, "But I don't know where her husband is."

"Don't worry, Kato, this young lady can stand in for him," the doctor replied, "She's family, as well." 'I still can't believe that this is really Hibiki-kun. That day in the office when he showed me his transformation,' the doctor thought. "Let's get her down to the delivery room," he finished.

The midwife and an attendant helped Ukyo on to a gurney and the two of them rolled her out of the room and down a short hallway to the delivery room, where they helped her slided onto the angled bed. Ryoga and the doctor following behind.

"Do you want some hot water?" the doctor asked quietly.

"No, this is more important. I need to be there, and nothing else matters," Ryoga replied.

"Good man," the doctor said as they joined Ukyo and the midwife in the room. Once again, Ryoga grasped Ukyo's hand as another contraction happened.

"You are never having sex with me again, you bastard, this is all your fault," Ukyo groaned as that one hurt the worst.

"Don't worry, dearie, they always say that. And I've never heard of it happening," the midwife said automatically.

The doctor checked quickly and said, "We can start pushing now. Everything is going great, Hibiki-kun, Hibiki-chan."

"It hurts!" Ukyo exclaimed.

"Breathe, Ucchan," Ryoga said, soothingly.

"If you want any more children, you get to have them," Ukyo snapped.

Ryoga smiled weakly at that.

"Don't worry, Hibiki-kun, I've never lost a father yet," the doctor said, "Okay, Ukyo, on the next one, push hard."

The next hour passed quickly for some, painfully for both Ukyo and Ryoga, as the contractions grew closer together. Finally, the doctor grinned and said, "Okay, the baby has crowned. Just a little longer, Ukyo. You're doing great."

Ukyo grunted as she pushed, and then once more, while Ryoga marveled at the strength of her grip. She had long since lost sensation in the hand that her wife was holding, but counted that as minor to the pain that she knew that Ukyo was having.

"Okay, one more push," the doctor said in a gentle, yet commanding voice.

Finally, Ukyo screamed and pushed one last time, as the doctor cradled a bundle in his arms. He held up the baby and lightly swatted her on the rear end. The little girl screamed at the indignity and then took a breath.

"Congratulations, you two," the doctor said, as he handed the baby to the midwife and then cut the cord.

Ryoga took one look and collapsed to the floor in a dead faint.

"Ryoga, you weakling," Ukyo said, fondly as she saw her husband, "And you call yourself a martial artist."

* * *

Ryoga tore his eyes away from the most amazing sight, his wife breast-feeding his newborn daughter. 

Ukyo grinned at him and said, softly, "Well, go on, go answer the door and see who's out there." He got up from his chair and walked over to the door and opened it enough to see that it was Ranma and Akane.

"It's Ranma and Akane, dear," Ryoga said.

"Well, don't just stand there, let them in," Ukyo replied.

"But you're nursing!" Ryoga exclaimed.

Ukyo rolled her eyes and said, "In the first place, Ranma and Akane both know what breasts look like. And in the second place, nobody can see anything anyway, because greedy guts here is protecting my modesty."

Ryoga looked over and saw that his wife was glaring at him, so he gulped, and wisely stepped back out of the way.

Akane stepped into the room, closely followed by Ranma who was carrying a small stuffed panda. Akane squealed in delight when she saw the baby. She said, softly, "Congratulations, you two. She looks adorable. Looks like she has your hair, Ukyo." She felt a small pang of jealousy looking at how happy Ukyo was.

"Yeah, she was worth the effort," Ukyo said, with a smile, "I may let Ryoga near me again."

Ranma glanced at Ryoga who smiled weakly.

"Uh, she was making some threats in the delivery room," Ryoga replied, softly.

Ranma chuckled and said, softly, "It's really a good thing some memories fade or we'd all be only children."

Ryoga grinned at his friend as he walked over to the bed.

"Hey, Ucchan," Ranma said, "You two did good. I'm so happy for you, all three of you."

"Hey yourself," Ukyo replied, "Yeah, this is so cool."

"This is for her," Ranma said as he placed the stuffed animal in the little crib next to the bed that Ukyo was lying in.

"Yuki, this is Ranma and Akane, our best friends," Ukyo said, "Ranma, Akane, this is our daughter, Yuki."

"She is our luck," Ryoga added, in a wondering tone that Ranma had never heard from the boy, no man, before.

"I think all three of you are lucky," Akane said, wistfully.

"Looks like she's done," Ukyo said, as she gently disengaged the baby from her nipple. Ranma had half-turned away, to give her a little privacy as she rearranged her nightgown. "Do you want to hold her?" Ukyo asked.

"Can I?" Akane said.

"Sure, just put this towel on your shoulder for when she burps," Ukyo said.

Akane placed the towel over her shoulder and then carefully picked up Yuki in her arms and placed the infant against her shoulder. She gently patted Yuki's back, and sure enough, the little baby burped, and spat up a little of the breast milk.

Ranma looked at the two of them, and his heart twinged. 'She looks so good right now, I almost wish that we could start our family too,' he thought.

Ryoga looked at his friend and chuckled. "It'll happen soon enough, Ranma," he said softly, his words barely reaching Ranma over Akane's gentle crooning.

Ranma quirked a grin and said, "You're right, I do want that. Look at her, she looks like that's how she belongs. But, we agreed to wait until after we had some college behind us." He sighed and added, "It's a bit different for you guys. You already know what you'll be doing, what with running the restaurant, and everything. You can afford to start your family, even if she was a bit of an accident."

"Those two are the best things that ever happened to me, Ranma, so while we may not have planned Yuki, I'm so deliriously happy that she's here, that I'm gonna ignore that statement," Ryoga growled.

Ranma had the decency to blush, and said, "Sorry, that wasn't exactly the way I meant that. I think I'm just a bit jealous of you right now, buddy."

The nurse bustled into the room, and said, "Visiting hours are nearly over. And I need to check on our patients. How are we doing, dearie?"

"I am doing fine," Ukyo said, in a saccharine tone, "I don't know how you're doing."

Akane bent down and handed Yuki back to her mother, and kissed Ukyo on the cheek. "You take care of yourself, okay." She placed a small backpack on the floor, and added, "Not that I really expect you to do them, but I brought your schoolwork. Hinako is willing to cut you some slack, but the other teachers don't seem to think giving birth is a good reason not to do your work."

"Typical clueless males," Ukyo growled.

"We'll try to stop by tomorrow sometime," Ranma said as he walked over and gently kissed Ukyo on the cheek. "Good job, sis," he whispered. Then taking his wife by the hand, he led her out the door.

Ranma turned to his wife and said, tenderly, "You want one, don't you?"

Akane's throat tightened and she said, very softly, "Yes, I do." She sighed and continued, "But we can't right now. It would just be too hard to get through college and start up the dojo if we had a little one. We made the right decision." She brightened and said, "But, I don't mind practicing."

Ranma grinned and replied, "Neither do I." He pulled her into a tight hug, and whispered, "We'll have our family when we're ready. And besides, I'm not sure I'm ready to be a father, not yet at any rate. I'm got a bad example to forget before that happens I think."

"I think you're wrong there, Ranma. You know what not to do already," Akane said.

"Yeah, don't take the kids on ten year training trips, for starters," Ranma said with a grin.

"Or turn into a human waterworks," Akane added.

* * *

"Master Herb, you asked to see us?" Lime asked as the two girls presented themselves to their master. 

Herb looked up from the book he had been reading on the advice of the Amazon Elder and frowned briefly. "Yes, I did," he replied, "but I would like to talk to you separately. Lime, would you occupy yourself in your room for several minutes?"

Even though he had phrased it as a question, Lime recognized the command for what it truly was. She smiled briefly and answered, "Of course, Master Herb." She turned and walked out the door, her hips swaying ever so slightly.

'Lime has certainly accepted being female a lot better than I expected her to. Wait a minute, when did I start thinking of Lime as a her,' Herb thought. After a moment to pull himself together, he turned to Mint and asked, "What have you learned about treating women?"

Mint frowned in concentration and replied, "Well, that I should treat their bodies with respect, not attempt to grope them, or ogle them. Asking to see their breasts is extremely rude." She looked down at the ground and said, very softly, "Master Herb, I am very sorry for my behavior when I found out that you turned into a woman. These last two months have taught me a lot."

"It sounds like you have learned the correct lesson from this experience," Herb said.

"I believe I have," Mint said softly, then she asked, hopefully, "Do you think the gods will see fit to restore me to manhood?"

"The gods may or may not," Herb replied, "But I will. You weren't cursed by them, I did it in an attempt to show you how poor your behavior and treatment of women was. Kneel." Mint dropped to her knees in front of Herb, who rose from his chair and approached carrying the Kai-sui-fu. He poured the hot water contained in the kettle over the girl in front of him, and once again, the Kai-sui-fu worked its magic and unlocked the curse. Mint was restored. Herb stepped back and said, "There is a possibility that cold water will continue to affect you."

"If it does, Master Herb, it is no less than I deserved for my behavior," Mint said.

"Go downstairs now," Herb said, as he set the kettle back down by his chair. He followed Mint out the door, and waited for him to walk down the stairs. Herb then turned and walked to the room that Mint and Lime shared. He opened the door, and said, "Come with me, Lime."

Lime flowed gracefully to her feet and followed her master back to his room. She closed the door behind her and knelt on the floor in front of his chair.

"Lime, what have you learned about treating women?" Herb asked.

"Master, it is simple. Treat them with honor and respect," Lime said softly, as she looked down at the floor.

"Lime, you have done well," Herb said, "But then I thought that you had discovered the truth already. Now, I will reverse the curse that you have and return you to being male."

Lime looked up, startled and she exclaimed, "No! Please don't do that."

"Why, Lime? Are you not a warrior of the Musk Dynasty?" Herb asked in surprise.

"Master Herb, when I was growing up, I always felt something was wrong, I was uncomfortable for some reason. At first, when I woke up female, the strangeness made me wish to be restored. But after a few days, I realized that what had happened was a blessing, not a curse. I discovered that while I might have been born male, that my mind and soul yearned to be female. I was finally comfortable with who I was. This is what I should have been," Lime replied.

Herb sank back down in his chair, a troubled expression on his face. "I didn't expect this, Lime. You seemed to be the perfect warrior," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"I am still a warrior, Master Herb," Lime said, proudly, "Are you not a warrior when you are female? Are you any different?"

"Those words are true," Herb said, "But you know the ways of our people."

"Yes, Master Herb, but I can tell that you are going to change some of those beliefs," Lime replied, "After all, Mint and I were perfect examples of our kind, perverted in our approach, and you set out to teach us different. You won't be able to hide the fact that you change into a woman, either, so our people must change."

"You have been thinking about this for a long time, haven't you?" Herb asked.

Lime replied, "Ever since I realized that I wished to remain female, and also what impact you would have on our people."

"Very well, I can not force you to return to being male. If this is what you truly wish, then I will not stand in your way," Herb said, "You may rise."

Lime smiled and flowed to her feet. "Thank you, Master Herb," she said. She stared at him uncertainly for a second, suddenly bashful. Then she moistened her lips as if gathering up her courage and suddenly dropped into his lap and pressed her lips against his, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Herb stiffened in shock, a voice in his head began to yammer, 'This is Lime, a man you've known all your life. But, Lime said that she was always a woman inside. So is this a man kissing you, or a beautiful woman kissing you? But it does feel good.' Confused, he tried to pull away.

Lime felt his reluctance and pulled back, allowing him to look at her troubled eyes. "I'm sorry, my lord, I shouldn't have done that," she whispered, trying to escape.

Herb prevented her from leaving, though he could tell that he was reacting to what was a pretty girl sitting in his lap. "Why did you do that?" he asked.

"Because, my lord, I have been having strange feelings every time I look at you. I never knew what they meant until now though," Lime replied huskily, "Feelings that I know you can't return."

"I don't know what to say, Lime," Herb said, "I've known you all my life, or at least I thought I did. Two months ago, you were simply one of my two bodyguards. But, I can't deny that I felt something when we kissed. This feels so wrong, but it also felt right."

"I understand, my lord," Lime said, eyes brimming with tears. She stood up and began to turn.

Herb reached out and caught her hand and said, "Give me some time to get used to this side of you, Lime. I have to come to terms with the fact that you were once a woman trapped in a man's body. I can't promise anything; there's a part of me that is very squeamish about what just happened, but there's also a part of me that enjoyed it, and wouldn't mind it happening again. That's all that I meant by what I said before." He hesitated and then asked, "Does Mint know about how you feel about yourself?"

"A little. I told him that I was comfortable in being a woman," Lime replied, softly, "I don't think that he quite understood, though."

"I unlocked his curse, so he is currently male," Herb said.

"I assumed as much," Lime said with a shrug of her shoulders, "Which might make sharing a bed a little awkward."

"If he touches you inappropriately, tell me," Herb ordered, clenching his fist. 'Why did that make me so angry?' he wondered.

Lime smiled faintly and said, "Of course, my lord." She turned to leave, only to stop at a touch on her arm.

"That's the fourth time you've called me 'my lord,' instead of Master Herb," Herb asked, his eyes oddly intent, "Why is that?"

Lime blushed and stood her eyes downcast, though Herb could see her gorgeous brown eyes looking through her long eyelashes. She replied, shyly, "Because of how I feel for you, I suppose. And it is the way of our people, according to the books that I have read. That is the title that a woman uses for the man she loves." She put her hand over her mouth as she realized what she had said, and turned and ran through the door.

Herb looked after her with a thoughtful expression on his face. "What a strange day this has turned out to be," he said. Then he cursed as he realized that he was going to have to talk to Mint and let him know why Lime refused to change back. He headed out the door and went downstairs and entered the kitchen, where he found Mint listening intently to Cologne.

"Master Herb!" Mint exclaimed, "I don't have a curse! Shampoo accidentally splashed me with cold water and I didn't change."

"That is good news, Mint. But I need to talk to you about something else," Herb said.

Cologne started to leave only to have Herb say, "Please stay, Elder. I could use your advice." She turned and saw that Herb was extremely troubled about something from the way his aura was roiling.

"Lime has decided to remain female," Herb said in opening.

"I thought she might," Mint said, while Cologne looked surprised.

Herb frowned and asked, "Why would you think that?"

"She adjusted to being a woman even better than you did, Master Herb, and she had commented about how comfortable she was. In fact, I've come to think about Lime as female," Mint replied, "And then there is the fact, no that is not for me to say."

"You know about her feelings for me?" Herb asked quietly.

"Yes, Master Herb, I do. We've shared a tent for many years and I saw something, and then these last two months I realized what it was," Mint replied. He paused and added, "And I truly did learn what I told you, Master Herb, but if it makes things easier, I will find another place to sleep while we are here."

"There's a third bedroom upstairs," Cologne said.

"Thank you Elder Cologne," Mint said, "I'll go move my things immediately. With your permission of course, Master Herb."

"Yes, yes, go ahead," Herb said.

Mint left the kitchen, leaving a pensiv1e Herb and an amused Cologne.

Cologne chuckled for a moment and then said, "This is not unheard of in my village, Prince Herb. In fact, I know of several cases in our history where someone who was born male voluntarily entered the spring of drowned girl in order to become female." She paused and then asked, "What are your feelings on the subject?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm very confused. It's a little hard to wrap my mind around the fact that Lime feels that she was really a woman trapped in a man's body all these years," Herb replied. He frowned and asked, "Did you know that she considered what happened to her a blessing, not a curse?"

"No, but given what I've heard, and what I had seen, I'm not surprised," Cologne replied.

Herb chuckled and said, "As old as you are, I doubt much surprises you."

Cologne cackled at that. "That's true enough," the old woman replied, "But what about her feeling toward you? She might be the perfect choice for you, since she knows what it is like to be a person trapped in the wrong body."

"I'd have to get past the memory of her being a man first," Herb said, "And that's something I'm not sure I can do, at least not soon."

"I'm not sure I should suggest this, but we Amazons have a way of modifying memories," Cologne said.

"No, I'd rather not do that. If I decide that this is something that I want to pursue, I want it to be in full knowledge of all of the facts, she deserves that much," Herb said after several moments of thought. He turned to leave and then said, "I think we'll be staying in Nerima for a bit longer, Elder."

"You are welcome to stay here as long as you'd like," Cologne said, "Though I'll be spending less time here with my great granddaughter. I do have a ton of paperwork piling up for me at the embassy, as my aide Mousse reminds me often. I sometimes think the Council just can't function without me from all of the stuff that gets sent this way."

"I don't envy you that. I'm definitely not looking forward to the day that I inherit the throne," Herb said, "May my father live long and prosper."

Cologne laughed at how fervently the young man had said that last.

* * *

Author's Notes: Thank you for all of the comments about this story. I had a lot of fun with the last chapter, and this one as well. I hope it showed. As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged. Also, the name for Ryoga and Ukyo's child is a blatant homage to Doctor Emmit Brown's excellent story by the same name, as well as a plea for him to upload the next chapter. Specific comments are below, though I can't reply to all of them: 

Silver Warrior: I'm glad you liked it.

Neon-Ronin: When Ryu shows up, Ranma will find a way to learn. After all, according to canon, his mother has the technique in a letter somewhere. I will have soemthing with both the Ryugenzawa and the Phoenix Clan, I'm just not sure what it'll be yet.

Weebee: Yeah, I did make Herb a bit less of a jerk in this one. Don't worry, when I get to him in Second Time Around, he'll be more or less back to normal.

Shinigami: I should have some interaction between Cologne/Shampoo and Lime in the next chapter.

Wonderbee31: You must have read my mind with this review.

Borg rabbit: I, um, had something a bit different in mind.


	58. Decisions

Author's Note: There is quite a bit of lime in this chapter, uh, pun intended. You have been warned. This might push the rating just a bit.

Chapter 58 Decisions

True to her word, Elder Cologne had indeed left the restaurant that she had gifted her great granddaughter with as a wedding present, and returned to the embassy to do battle with the dragon, or in this case, massive amount of paperwork that had accumulated during her sojourn. Herb found that he missed the conversations that he had held with her over the past two months, as her often insightful remarks had challenged many of his people's long-held beliefs, beliefs that he had already began to question based on his travels through China and then on into Japan while he had searched for the kettle. This, along with the easy partnership that he observed between Ranma and Akane, had firmed up his resolve to change his people to allow for more equality between the sexes.

This morning, a week after Lime had professed her love for him, found him troubled. And the reason he was troubled was working gracefully in the kitchen. Lime had not attempted any more physical overtures toward him, such as kisses, or even hugs, but it was painfully obvious that she was pursuing him aggressively. She dressed provocatively, leaving it very plain that she was all woman, and while she spoke to him respectfully enough, the word choices and inflections left no doubt that she was flirting with him, in an blatant attempt to erase whatever past mental image that he had of her. And it didn't help that his own body was betraying him. Even now, as he watched her bend over to get something out of one of the lower cabinets, the fabric of her short skirt grew taut against her pert bottom, causing the inevitable tightening in his trousers as all of the blood rushed from his brain to points below his belt.

"Shampoo, here's the pots we needed," Lime said as she dragged out several large metal pots and set then down on the floor next to her.

Shampoo flashed a quick smile and said, "Lime very good worker. Shampoo glad she decide to help out." She bent down to pick up one of the pots, her short skirt also drawing tightly against her body.

Herb frowned slightly as he realized that for whatever reason, he didn't have the same reaction to the attractive Amazon girl. 'Okay, admit it to yourself, Herb. You're attracted to her, aren't you?' the voice in his head taunted him. 'Fine, I can admit it. Lime makes a beautiful girl, there's no doubt about that,' he thought back, 'But, emotionally I can't get past the fact that I knew her for so long as a man.' A slight flush was upon his face as he watched the girl that was beginning to haunt his dreams.

"Master Herb," Mint called, trying to get his attention. He had watched the dynamic between his master and the woman that Lime had become with a great deal of concern.

Herb looked away from Lime and glanced over at Mint. "Yes, Mint, what is it?" he asked, brusquely.

"You were intending on going over to the Tendo's to meet Master Ranma and Mistress Akane," Mint reminded.

Herb glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was nearly ten, which was the time that he had arranged to meet with the pair so they could train some more. While they tried to hide their amusement at the situation that he was in, he also had sensed their sympathy. Angry at himself for his preoccupation, he still managed to smile his thanks at Mint as he stood up and walked quickly to the door.

Mint started to follow him, only to stop at a gesture. "Keep an eye on things here," Herb said quickly, "And if Shampoo or Lime ask for help."

"You don't have to tell me to do that, Master Herb. That's still my friend in there," Mint said softly. 'I wish I knew what the right thing was. I want Lime to be happy,' he thought, 'But, I can hear her cry herself to sleep at night.'

Herb merely nodded as he walked out the door.

* * *

Mousse leaned back against the wall of the store as he watched Nabiki browse through the lingerie. As most men do in that situation, he was never quite sure where to rest his eyes. Finally he sighed and said, "You know, this really wasn't the quality time I expected to spend with you today."

Nabiki made a face at him and said, "I'll make it up to you later."

"Speaking of that, when are you going to make an honest man of me and accept my proposal?" Mousse asked.

"An honest man? We haven't gone that far yet, Mousse," Nabiki replied, absently, as she checked the price tag. "This is pretty enough, but they are asking too many yen for it," she said with a sigh as she placed the bra back on the rack.

"True," Mousse muttered under his breath, "But not because we didn't want to go all the way."

"You knew I was planning on waiting til I was married," Nabiki said, her sharp ears hearing what Mousse had mumbled, "So if you can't control your urges."

"Ha, I'm the one who stopped last time," Mousse shot back, "And you know how I feel about you."

Nabiki's eyes softened and she replied, "I know, but I want to get through school first. After I leave Furinkan, then we'll talk, and I'll give you a different answer. I promise. But you know how important my having a career is to me, so some things will just have to wait." She looked at another bra, this one a black, lacy, and sheer number. She turned to her boyfriend and asked, "What do you think about this one? Can you see me in this?"

An image flashed across Mousse's brain, of Nabiki in that bra and matching panties, and nothing else. A small trickle of blood began to flow from his nose, as he reached up and pinched the nostril shut.

'I think this will do nicely,' Nabiki thought, 'and he still has a pulse.'

"You have a cruel streak, Nabiki Tendo," Mousse said.

His only answer was a giggle as she made her way to the register to make her purchase.

* * *

Ryoga woke up quickly as he heard his daughter whimpering in her bassinet. He got out of bed carefully, trying not to wake his wife so she could continue sleeping. In the week since they had brought Yuki home from the hospital, the new parents had quickly fallen into a routine where Ryoga took care of the midnight wakeup call. He padded quietly over to the bassinet, dressed only in a pair of boxers, and picked up his daughter. He checked her diaper, but to his relief, while she required a change, it was only because it was wet. He took her out of the bedroom and over to the changing table in the living room and placed Yuki on her back. He removed the damp diaper and with a now well practiced motion, cleaned her up and got her into a fresh diaper.

Yuki continued to fuss, though now he was beginning to recognize that this sound meant she was hungry. "Okay, Yuki, Daddy will feed you. I've got to warm up the bottle for you, though," Ryoga said softly. 'I'm glad we broke down and remodeled this apartment,' he thought as he walked over to the small kitchen that they had added during the nine long months of her pregnancy. Carefully cradling Yuki against his chest with one arm, he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of breast milk that Ukyo had pumped the day before. Then turning to the stove, he prepared to place the bottle in a water-filled saucepan. Unfortunately, Yuki jerked slightly in his arm, and he hit the handle of the pan and flipped it up enough to spray water all over him, triggering the change.

Yuki noticed that she was now resting against something that felt familiar, and she turned her head and began to suckle.

Ryoga looked down in shock at the unfamiliar sensation to see her daughter trying to feed. With a bit of a laugh, she said, softly, "Hey, Yuki, all that work isn't going to get you anything. These are just for show." She walked over to the sink with the saucepan and filled it up with water. Then she carried the pan, and her still attempting to nurse baby over to the stove. She turned the burner on, and placed the bottle into the water to heat it up. Now that the important things were taken care of, she tried to gently remove her nipple from her baby's mouth. "Come on, sweetheart, Daddy can't feed you," she crooned. A gentle laugh interrupted her efforts, so she looked up to see her wife standing there in the doorway.

"Interesting predicament you have there, sugar," Ukyo said.

"Help!" Ryoga pleaded.

"Oh, she'll stop in a second when she realizes that nothing's coming out," Ukyo said, as she walked over to her husband and hugged her around the waist.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Ryoga asked, "Sure you don't want to take over?" She gave her wife her best puppy dog eyes. Yuki was starting to look a little frustrated.

Ukyo smirked and replied, "Naw, you look like you're doing just fine." She pulled the bottle out of the water and squeezed a drop on her wrist. "This feels about right," she said, "Let's see if she likes this better." She reached over and gently popped Ryoga's nipple out of her baby's mouth, and then brought the bottle over to her. "Try this, sweetie," Ukyo said.

Yuki gratefully latched onto the bottle and began to suck.

"You want to tell me what happened?" Ukyo asked.

"I was putting the bottle into the saucepan, and hit the handle instead," Ryoga replied, a disgusted tone in her voice, "Knocked it up into the air, and of course the water landed on me."

"So that was the clatter I heard, the pan hitting the stove," Ukyo said.

"So that's what woke you up, sorry about that," Ryoga said as she took the bottle from Ukyo and held it for Yuki.

"That's okay, I wouldn't have missed this for anything," Ukyo said.

* * *

"Lime, we need to talk," Herb said softly as he stood up after finishing his meal, "When you are finished, come to my room."

"Yes, my lord," Lime said, meekly, the color leaving her face as she bit her lip.

Herb looked at her for a second, his face expressionless. Then he spun on his heel and headed up the stairs to his room. Sitting down in the comfortable chair that Lime had somehow wedged into the room, he sighed as he picked up the book he was reading and opened it at the bookmark he had left. He began to read, once again losing himself in the writing of the ancient Chinese author. Each time he picked up the "Art of War," he learned more and now that he was contrasting Sun Tzu with the writings of Machiavelli, he was struck by the synergy he found. A gentle cough interrupted his concentration as he looked up to see Lime standing uncertainly in the doorway.

"My lord," Lime said softly, "You wished to speak to me."

"Come in," Herb replied, with a heavy sigh.

Lime walked into the room reluctantly and knelt on the floor in front of him and bowed her head.

Herb reached out with one trembling hand and gently cupped her chin, raising her head so he could see her downcast eyes. Seeing the pain in her eyes, he almost wished he wasn't doing this. "Lime, I tried, I truly did," Herb said, only to be interrupted by a choked back sob. He watched her face crumple, as she began to weep.

"I understand, my lord," Lime said with a quiet dignity that almost broke his heart to see, "I knew it was too much to hope for when I confessed how I felt for you. But, I couldn't continue living a lie, it was tearing me up inside."

Herb sighed once more and said, "You were my closest confidante as I grew up, Lime." He frowned then and continued, "It's funny in a way. Elder Cologne was right. The woman you have become has all of the qualities that I need in a wife. Your strength, your personality, everything about you makes you a good match for me."

"I expect I hear a 'but' coming, though, my lord," Lime said with a bittersweet smile.

"But, I can't get past it, Lime. I tried, but I couldn't," Herb said sadly, "That's why we stayed here an extra couple of months. I felt like I owed my oldest friend the opportunity."

Lime reached up and caressed the hand holding her chin and then leaned into it. "I know, and I thank you for that. I also know that you are attracted by what you see, I can see it in the way you can't keep your eyes off of me when I walk by, but I think I always knew that you couldn't return what I feel for you," she said.

"We'll be heading home tomorrow," Herb said.

"Yes, I expected that you would. I won't be returning with you," Lime said, causing an odd pang in Herb's chest.

"That's probably for the best," Herb said softly.

* * *

Lime hesitated for a second, as she stood there in the darkened room, staring down at the sleeping form of the man that she loved. Then her features hardened as she drew back the covers to expose his boxer-clad body. She could tell that he wa having some sort of erotic dream based on the tented evidence in front of her and then she heard him moan her name. Dropping her robe, she climbed into his bed.

Herb slowly roused from this slumber, the vestiges of the dream where he and Lime were making love to realized that indeed that dream had somehow become a reality. In the dim light, he could see the sweat-drenched face of the woman he could not have, her breasts bouncing slightly with her exertion, as she moved up and down in abandon. A slight keening came from her lips and he realized that that was the odd noise that had awoken him. Finally, she shuddered once and that drove him over the edge as he joined her.

"Lime, why?" he gasped once he recovered. He attempted to free himself, but she refused to move, forcing him back down on the bed. "This doesn't change anything," he said, his voice husky with emotion.

Herb groaned as she squeezed. "Why not? Could a man do that to you?" Lime retorted, "I've seen the way you watch me. I could see the lust in your eyes when I walked by. I knew you wanted to touch these." She forced his hands up to cradle her breasts.

Herb closed his eyes as he gently rubbed his hands across her smooth flesh. "I can't, Lime. My heart wants to, but my head won't let me," he whispered, "And you know my father the king would never approve. He has that arranged marriage for me, the one that will solidify another alliance."

Lime's eyes filled with tears as she sank down against him in defeat. Finally, she whispered, "I know that my lord. If I had thought that crawling into your bed would make you change your mind about this, I would have done it sooner. The first time I saw you react to my body, I wanted to. But it was only lust I felt from you, and I wanted love."

"Then why?" Herb asked, "Why tonight did you change your mind?"

"After this afternoon you have to ask!" Lime exclaimed, "I knew then that my dreams were shattered. I had given you so much through the years, my heart, my counsel, my soul. Giving you my body was simple compared to that."

Herb winced as he saw the pain in her eyes, the pain that he was causing her and he sighed. He also felt his body betray him as it once again reacted to the presence of the pretty girl that was entwined with him. He saw her eyes widened as she felt him. "We didn't use any protection," he said hoarsely.

Lime looked away for a moment and then replied, "The Amazons have potions for all sorts of things, my lord. Before I came into your room tonight, I took the appropriate potion." She began to move against him, and once more he allowed himself to succumb.

* * *

Herb woke slowly, with an unaccustomed warmth next to him. He opened up his eyes to find that he was not alone in his bed. Lime was cuddled up next to him, and in fact, he was spooning her, with one hand gently cupping her breast. He sighed in resignation as he realized that the feel of her body against his had caused a truly spectacular response. He felt the change in her breathing that indicated that Lime was now awake and was fully aware of the situation.

Lime rolled over, a bitter smile on her face. "Shall I give you a going away present, my lord?" she asked, a note that he had never heard before in her voice.

"That's not necessary," Herb said, "I can certainly take a cold shower and take care of this."

"Oh, no my lord, I caused this, I should take care of it," Lime retorted, "Besides, what does it matter now?"

"But," Herb began, only to have Lime put her hand over his mouth.

"My lord, I'll likely never see you again, so just shut up and make love to me one last time," Lime said.

* * *

The moment Lime had dreaded had come. Mint and Herb were all packed and ready to leave for the train station to catch the train for the ride across the island to the port where they had arranged for transport. She knew that she was doing the right thing by staying in Nerima, especially after last night, but it was still painful to watch as Mint had brought the large backpack down the stairs into the main room of the restaurant.

With a heavy sigh, Lime walked over to Mint. "Take care of him for me," she said, trying to keep her composure, "Make sure he eats right, and gets plenty of rest. You know how he can get sometimes. Don't let him get too moody."

"Don't worry, Lime. I care for him almost as much as you do," Mint began, "Well, maybe not in the same way, I suppose. I'm gonna miss you, my friend."

"I'll miss you too, Mint. We've had a lot of good times together," Lime replied. She reached out and pulled him into a brief hug, and then kissed his cheek. She grinned and backed up. "Go ahead, pervert, I know you want to," she said with a smirk.

Mint reached out and touched her waist and said, "No, I've learned my lesson. You take care of yourself."

Lime walked over to Herb, and said, "I will miss you, my lord. I wish things had worked out differently, but that is not our destiny. You have a duty to our, no, to your people."

Herb sighed heavily and pulled her to him. "Lime, you have been a part of my life for so many years. I will miss my old companion. Please, for my sake, try to find someone to love. Someone who is worthy of you."

Lime reached up and brushed his lips with hers, and said, softly, "I did find someone. He's about to get on a train and leave me. I will always love you, my lord."

Herb groaned and said, "Please forgive me, Lime."

"There's nothing to forgive, now go, before I lose my composure and start crying," Lime said, "You take care of yourself. And make that girl happy. I have no regrets, so don't you dare have any."

Herb released her, and said, "If you ever need me."

"GO!" Lime exclaimed, pushing him away, "You'll miss your train."

"Master Herb, she's right," Mint said, as he rubbed his eyes. "Damn allergies," he said under his breath.

"Fare thee well, then," Herb said, as he nodded to Mint, "We'd better hurry." He turned and walked out of the restaurant.

Mint looked at Lime and said, "I'll try to keep in touch and let you know how things are going." Lime nodded and watched as Mint ran after his master.

Shampoo entered the dining room, and wrapped her arms around Lime. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I will be," Lime replied, as she touched her belly.

"You've chosen a hard road, my friend." Shampoo said, "Are you really sure about this?"

"I had to have something of him, I just hope," Lime said softly.

"We'll know for sure in two weeks," Shampoo said, "But the fertility potion you took is about ninety-five percent effective."

"Thanks, Shampoo, I couldn't have done this without you," Lime said softly.

Shampoo giggled and said, "What can I say, I'm just a romantic at heart. What will you do once he is born?"

"Teach my child the way of the Musk," Lime said, "And have you teach the way of the Amazon. That way, he or she will have the best of both of our peoples."

"I'll help as much as I can," Shampoo replied, "And so will all of my friends. But for now, my friend, you need to cry for what you have lost."

Lime turned in her arms, and buried her head on her shoulder. She shuddered as great, wracking sobs were torn from her, as she wailed. Shampoo gently rubbed her back, cooing in her ear, as she let the pain and anguish go from seeing the man she loved disappear from her life.

* * *

Taro leaned against the doorframe of their bedroom, watching his wife for a moment, a tender smile gracing his face. It had been a week since they had moved into the Nekohaten to keep Lime company, and it seemed that the Musk girl had come to terms with things. "Hey," he asked, "Do you have any plans for this afternoon?"

Shampoo looked at his reflection in the mirror in front of her and replied, "Not really. Just working in the restaurant and keeping an eye on Lime."

"Do you think you could sneak off for a couple of hours?" her husband asked.

"Yeah, I should be able to," Shampoo replied, a little reluctantly, "Mid afternoon is pretty slow, so Lime can take care of things. I'm a little hesitant about leaving her, though."

"I understand, but she seems to be doing okay," Taro said, "Why don't you ask her about it?"

"Okay, sure. She's seemed a bit happier the last day or so, so maybe she's over the worst of it," Shampoo said. Then she asked, "But what are we going to do?"

"I thought we'd go flying," Taro replied.

"Oooh! That sounds like fun," Shampoo squealed happily, "I like flying with you, it's so cool!"

"Okay, I'd better get to class, and you need to as well," Taro said, "I'll see you this afternoon, then."

"Not before you give me a goodbye kiss, you don't!" Shampoo retorted.

Taro chuckled and braced himself as his wife raced over and glomped him. She raised her face up and kissed him, her eyes dancing with glee.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself, Lime?" Shampoo asked her friend.

"Sure, it's not like it'll be real busy," the older girl replied, "And you've taught me how to cook everything that's on the menu, so that shouldn't be a problem. No, the two of you have a good time together. Between you going to school, and then working here once you get off, and his studies, the two of you only get to see each other at night." She grinned impishly for a moment, and added, "Though it sounds like you make the most of your time together." A brief shadow appeared in her eyes.

Shampoo sighed and said, "I wasn't asking if you could handle the restaurant. I know you can do that."

"I'll be fine, I promise. You can't really die from a broken heart," Lime said, softly, "It hurts still, I won't lie to you about it. But I'm getting better. No, you don't need to hover around me this afternoon. Besides, I'm alone while you're at school anyway."

Shampoo said, "Okay, you won't have to tell me again. When Taro gets in, tell him I'm upstairs changing." She walked up the stairs to her room, a pensive frown on her face as she wondered how Lime was really handling things. 'I'm glad I thought to have Kasumi stop by while we're out,' she thought. She took her school uniform off, and changed into something a bit more appropriate for flying, a pair of slacks and a blouse. After a moment of reflection, she added a medium weight sweater to her ensemble.

Taro entered the room, just as she finished changing. "All ready to go?" he asked.

"Pretty much, I've got a small knapsack for you to put your clothes in that I can hold onto, that is, if we land somewhere and you want to change back," Shampoo replied, tossing him the bag.

"Okay, meet me on the roof, and don't forget the halter," Taro said. He headed up the final flight of stairs that led up to the roof. He opened the door and stepped out onto the flat roof of the building. In the shelter of the roof access, he stripped off his clothing and placed it in the bag. Then he dumped the bucket of water that Shampoo had left for him over his head, triggering his change. He moved away from the door, and stretched his wings to get them loosened up.

The door to the little access building opened and Shampoo walked out, carrying a halter. She fastened it around her husband's shoulders and chest. Then she tied the knapsack to the halter, so that it dangled by his right foreleg.

Taro knelt down slightly, and Shampoo clambered onto his broad back. Then she grasped the leads attached the halter, clipping one of them to a small hoop in her belt. That way, if she accidentally slid off, she would still be attached to her husband. "Okay, I'm secure," she said.

Taro snorted in amusement, and sprang into the air, pumping his wings furiously to gain altitude. He headed southwest from Nerima, as if he had a particular destination in mind.

While Shampoo was enjoying soaring through the air, she wondered where he was going. Shortly, she began to see the ocean off in the distance, and then began to recognize a few of the landmarks. A big smile appeared on her face, as off in the distance she saw the dilapidated temple where she had first declared her love for him. 'Who knew that he was such a romantic at heart,' she thought to herself as suddenly he swooped down and landed next to the hot spring-fed pool near the temple.

Shampoo scrambled off, and quickly removed the harness and bag from her husband.

Taro snorted and then dove into the water, spraying it all around. Once he surfaced, transformed back into human form, he glanced around for his wife, only to see a flash of skin as she dove into the water, her clothing left behind. She swam up behind him and pressed her body against his back.

"So exactly what did you have in mind bringing me here?" she purred.

* * *

Lime looked up as the chime rang. An obviously pregnant woman waddled into the restaurant, and slowly sat down. "Can I help you, miss?" she asked.

"Oh my, I hope so. Where's Shampoo?" the young woman asked.

"She took the afternoon off to be with her husband," Lime asked, "So I'm running the place while she's gone."

"Oh dear. Well, I'll leave my message with you then. I wanted to ask her if she could help me with Daddy's wedding this weekend," the woman said.

"I'll certainly pass on the message, Miss," Lime said.

"Oh my, where on earth are my manners. My name is Kasumi Ono, daughter of Soun Tendo," Kasumi said gently.

"What did you want Shampoo to do?" Lime asked.

Kasumi smiled angelically, and replied, "I was hoping she could help prepare some of the food for the reception after the wedding. I'd do most of the work myself, but I'm finding out that I tire to quickly now."

"You look a little familiar, like I should know you," Lime said.

Kasumi replied, "You've met my sister Akane."

"That's it, that's who you remind me of," Lime said, "She was very kind to me, so if Shampoo can't help you, I will. I'm Lime."

"A pleasure to meet you, Lime," Kasumi said. She hesitated and asked, "How are you doing? They talked to me a little about you."

"It's been a little bit of a struggle to adjust," Lime admitted, "But I'm handling things reasonably well."

Kasumi frowned slightly and said, gently, "Lime, Shampoo has told me about your situation. If you need someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on, stop by my house. You aren't alone."

Lime stared at Kasumi, and saw the compassion in her eyes. "I'll probably take you up on that, Miss Kasumi."

"Any friend of Ranma and Akane is a friend of mine," Kasumi said, "It's the least I can do." She stood up gingerly, placing her hand across her belly. "It's been nice talking to you," she said, "By the way, please come to the reception. I'd like to talk to you some more." She waddled out of the restaurant.

* * *

Author's Notes: Thank you for all of the comments about this story. As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged. Specific comments are below.

Celestial Lelila: Thanks for the wonderful review. I tend to agree with you about the pairing. I really can't see anyone else for Ranma but Akane and vice versa. As far as a comparison to Second Time, this one is a bit harder to write for some reason. Personally, I find that Second Time tends to write itself, while I have to work on this one a bit more.

CrowKenobi: Oh dear, I better fix that. Thanks for the catch.

Ss4-link: It's more like Lime is gender confused.

Howard Russell: Thanks. Hopefully I managed to get the chapters straightened out. As far as the gender thing goes, I hadn't ever seen that before either, so I thought I'd see where it went.

Wonderbee31: Yeah, while my wife never actually said those things, I could tell she was thinking some of them. Fourteen hours in the labor room with the first one, and then she ended up with a c-section anyway. I was surprised she let me touch her after that.

majinbuu7985: I'm very flattered. Thanks.

Silverline Scimitar: thanks. As to the pairings, more or less. Still need a wedding for Soun and Hinako. That should be next chapter.


	59. A Wedding to Remember

Chapter 59 A Wedding to Remember

Akane ushered three visitors into the family room, a gentle smile flickering on her lips. Hinako's eyes widened for a moment and then she squealed with delight. Collecting herself, she bowed with what little dignity remained, and said, "Mother, it is so good to see you! I wasn't sure from your letter if you would be able to come."

Mrs. Ninomayi smiled shyly and said, "Daughter, it has been much too ling since we have seen each other. But, why would you think that I would miss the wedding of my only daughter? The only reason that I didn't confirm that I was coming was that I was a little uncertain about my welcome. But your brothers insisted that they were coming and that they were sure that I was needed."

"That you certainly are," Hinako replied with a laugh, "I can't imagine going through all of this without you here by my side. I only regret that Father didn't live long enough to see this day."

"I regret that every day I draw breath, my daughter. I miss him more than I can say," her mother said softly.

Hinako walked over and hugged her mother and said, "I'm sorry, Mother. I miss him too." She walked over to the two young men watching her and hugged them both. She glanced fondly around the room and said, "I suppose introductions are in order. Mother, brothers, this is soon to be my new family, at least part of them." She walked over to Soun, and clasped his hand, and said, "This is Soun Tendo, the man I love, and my husband-to-be, and his three lovely daughters. Akane Saotome you have met, as she was the one who met you at the door, this is his middle daughter, Nabiki, and his eldest, Kasumi Ono. This is my mother, Yuriko, and my two brothers, Keitaro and Shiro." Everyone bowed politely.

Her mother looked around the pleasantly appointed room and said, "It is a pleasure to meet all of you, especially for such a wonderful occasion as this. I never thought that I would actually see this day, what with your condition, my child."

"Would you like some tea?" Kasumi asked, "I have a fresh pot that I was about to bring out."

"That would be wonderful," Mrs. Ninomayi replied.

At that moment, they heard the front door open and close, and a male voice called, "We're home!"

"We're in the family room, Ranma," Akane called, "And we have guests. Kasumi, you rest, I'll go get the tea." Kasumi smiled her appreciation and leaned back against the short stool that her husband had found her to help rest her back. Akane walked into the kitchen.

"Mother did you not read my letter carefully? I thought that I had explained that I was cured now," Hinako asked in the stillness.

"That was in your letter?" her mother replied, "How did I miss that, I wonder? That's wonderful!"

Three handsome young men walked into the family room, causing it to begin to be a little crowded. One of them walked over to the Kasumi, and lightly kissed her cheek, while a long, dark-haired man in a white robe sat down next to Nabiki. All three of them looked at the visitors with an expression of interest on their faces.

Soun said, "Mrs. Ninomayi, these are my son-in-laws, Doctor Tofu Ono and Grandmaster of this school, Ranma Saotome. The third young man is Mousse of the Joketsuzoku, who is…" He stopped for a moment and asked, wryly, "Have you moved past boyfriend yet?"

Mousse exchanged a glance with Nabiki and they laughed at the private joke. "Sorry, daddy, I guess boyfriend will still have to do. Companion may be getting a little closer, but we're not quite there yet," Nabiki replied, with a grin.

"Not for lack of me trying," Mousse muttered under his breath, causing Nabiki to chuckle.

"Patience, dear," Nabiki said sotto voce.

"As I was saying, this is Mousse, my daughter Nabiki's boyfriend," Soun said with a fond smile.

Akane walked in from the kitchen carrying a tray filled with teacups. "I thought I heard voices," she said, as she set the tray down. She walked over and hugged her husband, and said, in a voice only for him, "I missed you. You'll get a better welcome later."

"Grandmaster?" Shiro asked, "Of what school? And aren't you a bit young?"

Ranma began to bristle only to have Akane squeeze his hand. He said, easily, "Grandmaster of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. And yes, I am a bit young for the title, though I gained it by defeating the previous grandmaster."

"Ranma is one of the best that I have ever seen," Soun said proudly.

Ranma grinned and interjected, "What do you mean? I am the best."

"Modest, aren't we?" his wife teased.

Hinako looked sternly at her brother and said, "Ranma is extremely good at what he does."

Ranma checked the clock and said, "We only have a little bit of time to practice tonight, Akane. Remember, it's my turn to cook dinner, so we'll have to cut it short."

"Ranma-kun, I can fix dinner," Kasumi pleaded.

Ranma smiled at her and said, "You only have a little while longer, Kasumi. And you and I both know that you're under doctor's orders to take it easy, and even though the doctor is your husband, it's still good advice. Standing in the kitchen isn't taking it easy, and it's not as if it's a big deal for me to fix dinner."

Kasumi sighed heavily in defeat. "Okay, I'll be good. And I will be so glad when I can see my feet again, not to mention my back hurts now," she said.

Ranma and Akane headed out the door toward the dojo.

"It's only for a few more weeks," Tofu said calmly, "You've been doing wonderful for the last nearly eight months, let's not get cabin fever now. And it has only been the last week that your doctor asked you to start taking things a little easier."

"I know. It's just that I feel so useless right now. All I can do is my school work, and I can't even go to class, I have to have the professors send me the class notes and homework assignments," his wife muttered.

"Just be glad that Taro can bring them around," Tofu said, "If the rest of the term goes as smoothly, you'll do fine."

Soun said, "Mrs. Ninomayi, you'll meet some more of the clan at dinner. Ranma's mother Nodoka and his sister Genko should be joining us. Everyone else will still be working in their restaurants, so they won't be able to meet you until Saturday, itself."

"Oh that reminds me, Ukyo and Shampoo both are going to help with the reception on Saturday," Kasumi said.

"That's a relief," Soun said, "I just knew that you were going to try to do all of the cooking."

"I might have something else to do that day, Daddy, after all, I have to help Hinako," Kasumi said with a grin, then she added, "That new girl that's working there said she would help too."

"Shiro, Keitaro, you don't have to dance attendance on me, I can tell you want to go watch those two work out," Yuriko said.

"Yes, Mother," the two young men said.

"The dojo is out that door," Soun said, pointing to a door just visible from the family room. The two young men headed that direction.

Nabiki and Mousse traded looks and she said, "We've got some homework. We'll be in my room, working on it." They stood up and headed out the door.

"So, Tendo-san, why should I let you marry my daughter?" Yuriko asked, a slightly mischievous look in her eyes.

"Well, I suppose I could tell you that I'm on the town council, respected by the citizens of Nerima. And I suppose I could tell you that I have managed to raise three wonderful daughters. But I guess, the only reason that matters, is that I love Hinako and she loves me, something I didn't think would happen after I lost Kimiko," Soun said softly.

"Mother, was that really necessary? After all, I'm in my twenties," Hinako asked in exasperation.

Yuriko smiled serenely and said, "Tendo-san, I think I like you. I wasn't sure that you were suitable for my Hinako, being as old as you are, but I can see the connection between the two of you and it isn't just sex."

"Oh dear," Kasumi breathed.

"Just a bit blunt, aren't you, Ninomayi-san," Soun said, "Refreshing after all of the toadies on the council, but still blunt." He grinned at Hinako, and added, "And it's definitely not about sex. She means to me too much to be just that."

"And besides, Mother, I wasn't asking for your blessing, just your presence," Hinako added.

"But you wouldn't object if I gave it, now would you dear?" her mother asked, "But in any case, I do give you my blessing. So tell me about the wedding?"

"We plan on having the actual ceremony in the dojo, around ten in the morning, with just the family and a few close friends in attendance. Then, the reception will be held in the dojo and outside on the grounds, and I expect quite a few more people will be here for that," Soun said.

Hinako added, "The weather forecast looks good for Saturday, but we will have a few awnings up, just in case."

Kasumi and Tofu shared a chuckle as Hinako continued, "It wouldn't do for some of the guests to get wet."

* * *

Nodoka smiled slightly to herself as she watched Ranma, Tofu, Mousse and the two Ninomayi men help Soun set up the several awnings in the area between the dojo and the small storage building discretely tucked away in one corner of the compound. To their credit, none of the men had complained at being drafted during dinner, and indeed with six of them working, it was going quite well. Out of the corner of one eye, she watched Kasumi carefully, since the poor girl wasn't taking her enforced inactivity very well. Her hands were actually twitching in agitation at her inability to be out there directing the men on what needed to be done, but Tofu had been most insistent that she sit down on the steps and relax. Nodoka hadn't even needed the unspoken message that he sent her way that basically told her to make sure that Kasumi obeyed. Hinako and Yuriko has stayed behind in the kitchen to clean up after the delicious dinner that Ranma had prepared and now were busily catching each other up on the things that had happened since the last time they had talked, at least based on the snatches of conversation she was hearing through the partially opened windows. Akane and Nabiki were straightening up the dojo with the dubious assistance of Genko, as they put away all of the training aids that were normally scattered around the walls of the building.

"How are you feeling about all of this?" Nodoka asked kindly, more for the sake of distracting Kasumi than for any real need to talk.

"Which, being pregnant, or Daddy getting married?" Kasumi asked, with a laugh.

Nodoka chuckled and replied, "Either or both, I suppose. Your life is about to change quite a bit, and I was afraid that you might be finding it a bit overwhelming."

Kasumi smiled serenely and replied, "I'm looking forward to seeing my baby and being a mother. And I like Hinako, especially since her presence has helped Daddy quite a bit. What happened to your husband was troubling him some, even though he pretended that it didn't. She's a nice distraction from that."

The men began to haul out some folding tables from the storage shed, and started setting them up under the awnings.

"This is moving along a lot faster than I expected," Kasumi said.

"We've got twice as many people working than we had anticipated. Poor Mousse, I doubt this is what he had in mind when he stopped by to visit Nabiki," Nodoka said wryly.

"That's true enough," Kasumi said. She paused for a moment, and then asked, "How are you holding up, taking care of a young child again after all of these years?"

"It's exhausting, exhilarating and I wouldn't give it up for all the yen in Japan," Nodoka replied, "And I always wanted a daughter so this is working out fine."

The door behind them opened and Yuriko walked out. "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked.

"Of course not," Nodoka said, "We're just out here watching the men work and enjoying the breeze."

Yuriko sat down on the step next to Nodoka. "They have made a lot of progress in a very short time," she said, impressed.

"It is going well," Kasumi agreed.

"Even without you supervising," Nodoka teased.

Kasumi giggled and said, "Ha, Ha, Auntie. You know I hate being idle."

"Where's your daughter?" Yuriko asked.

"Genko? She's 'helping' Akane and Nabiki straighten out the dojo," Nodoka said with a grin, "Though I suspect she's being more of a hindrance than a help."

"She's seems to be a very sweet girl," Yuriko said.

Nodoka shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Thank you. I've done what I can to raise her properly. I do hope she grows up to be a fine person."

Yuriko asked, "Are they your only children?"

"Well, yes and no. I have an adopted daughter, Ukyo, who you heard us talk about some, and then there is a girl that I've basically taken under my wing, Shampoo. She is from the same tribe that Mousse is from. Ukyo owns an okonomiyaki shop called Ucchans, and Shampoo runs the Nekohaten café, so they are both pretty good cooks," Nodoka replied.

"They're also both married, Ukyo to Ryoga Hibiki, and they just had a gorgeous little girl," Kasumi added.

"You're a grandmother?" Yuriko asked, with just a touch of envy.

Nodoka smiled and said, "Yes, that does make me a grandmother. It's just as well that Ukyo and Ryoga had a child; I don't think Ranma and Akane are planning on having children any time soon."

"You'll see all of them at the wedding," Kasumi said, "Shampoo married another Chinese man named Awesome Taro."

Yuriko couldn't help it. She snickered, and then clamped her hands over her mouth. "That was so rude of me," she said softly, "But those names."

"That's not really their names. It's just as close as we can get when we say them in Japanese," Nodoka said.

"Could I ask you a personal question?" Yuriko asked.

Nodoka replied, "We're about to become family by marriage. If there's something you're curious about, you can ask. I reserve the right not to answer, but it won't upset me."

Yuriko asked, "Where's your husband?"

"Genma, he's no longer with us," Nodoka said finally, "He's atoning for some of the things that he did to our son."

"Oh, you're a widow," Yuriko said, "Just like me."

Nodoka frowned and replied, "Yes, I suppose I am." She sighed and said, "I do miss the man I married, and I know that Soun misses his old friend and fellow student."

Yuriko asked, "The two of them trained together?"

"Yes, they were the first students of the Anything Goes School, taught by the Grandmaster himself, but they left him to get married. They remained close, but they did drift apart," Kasumi said softly, "Though, not without promising to rejoin the school by through their children."

"That grandmaster was also the same person who cursed your daughter," Nodoka added, "Though, his books allowed Ranma to find her cure. We don't believe that Happosai intended the curse to remain all Hinako's life, but circumstances didn't allow him to remove it."

"I'm just glad it's gone," Yuriko said. She turned to Kasumi and asked, "Does it bother you that your father is marrying a woman not that much older than you?"

Kasumi smiled and said, "Ninomayi-san, my father basically closed down when Mommy died. I think the only reason he stayed alive was because he knew that if he died, the inheritance tax would have required us to sell this place and he couldn't bear for that to happen. Then Ranma showed up and eventually fell in love with Akane. Daddy was ecstatic at that point. He didn't care which daughter Ranma married, but once he did marry Akane, Daddy was able to give them this compound as a gift. He still wasn't completely happy, but at least he had calmed down some. Then your daughter came into his life. I don't know what she did to him, but I thank the gods everyday that she did. He is back from whatever pit of depression he was in."

Nodoka added, "The only real concern that we have with Hinako is that she teaches Ranma and Akane. Fortunately, the three of them had already developed a very close relationship because of what they had to do to remove the ki-absorbing ability from Hinako, so I don't expect this to change things much."

* * *

Ranma stopped at the entrance to the dojo, Akane holding onto his arm. He glanced around at the transformed room, with a row of chairs on either side of a white carpet, perpendicular to the shelf containing the family shrine. The Shinto priest had placed a low altar on the floor in front of the shrine, where he had placed several bottles, and cups. Behind each row of chairs, there were wooden screens, with various illustrations on each panel. He escorted her to her chair, and waited for her to sit. Once she was seated, he took his place next to her, and the two of them clasped hands. He nodded politely to Mrs. Ninomayi and her two sons who were sitting across the carpet from them. A small group of musicians were playing lightly in the background.

Tofu walked in, one arm around Kasumi's waist as they made their way down the aisle. He helped her sit down and then took his seat between her and Akane.

Ranma watched as Akane looked around the room, her eyes wide with excitement. She was almost giddy as she turned to him and said, "Daddy was so nervous this morning, I almost had to laugh. This is going to be so special."

Ranma frowned as a sudden thought struck him. "Akane," he asked softly, "Do you have any regrets? I mean, we didn't have a formal ceremony. I didn't ruin any of your dreams of a big wedding, did I?"

Akane smiled fondly at him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Silly man, I didn't need any of this. No fancy dress, no big ritual. Just you, me and our parents, that's all I wanted. Well, that, and to hear them say that we were married."

"That's all right, then," Ranma said, as his face relaxed, "You just looked so excited there, I was afraid. You know." He stopped talking as Akane kissed him lightly.

"Hush, you're going to work yourself up into a state of panic," Akane said, as the rest of the guests sat down.

"I think we're about to start," Nodoka said softly, "The priest chased us in from putting out the food."

"Don't worry, I drafted Yuka and Sayuri to finish," Akane replied. They hushed as Hinako and Soun walked into the room, pausing briefly before they walked down the aisle.

Hinako had elected not to wear the traditional kimono and headdress of a Shinto wedding, but instead was wearing a Western style wedding dress, with embroidery across the modest bodice, lace above, rising to circle her neck, where a pearl choker set off the ensemble. Soun was in a black tuxedo and looked extremely dashing, as the pair stopped in front of Hinako's mother. Hinako handed her a wrist corsage, and kissed her lightly before they continued walking to the altar. Once they were there, the priest walked in, in his traditional dress, and he quickly joined them in front of the altar.

Ranma watched as the Shinto priest began to perform a ritual of purification over the bride and groom, but he quickly stopped paying attention, as he was entranced watching his wife's reaction to what was going on. It wasn't until she hissed at him to pay attention that he realized that the priest had already finished the opening prayer and was pouring the cups of saké.

Hinako and Soun picked up the first small cups. They brought their cup up to their partner's lips, and then they took a small sip from the offered cup. Per the ritual of San-San Ku-Do, they repeated that twice with the small cup and then set them down on the small altar at the same time. They then repeated the process with the medium cup, once again taking three sips from the offered cup, and then placing the cups down. Finally, the ritual was repeated with the large cup, and they once more placed the cups on the table exactly at the same moment to overcome the superstition that the person who set the cup down first would see their ancestors first.

Soun then picked up the parchment upon which he had written his marriage oath, and began to read, in a trembling voice that Ranma couldn't quite make out, but words that Hinako was clearly taking to heart, as she seemed to glow with happiness.

Once Soun was finished, the priest picked up two rings from the altar. He bowed over them briefly, in a wordless prayer and then handed the smaller of the two to Soun. With a gentle smile, the priest said, "The rings are a symbol of the endless love that we are here today to acknowledge. The tiny circle of gold also stands for the purity of the relationship that we celebrate. And borrowing slightly from my western brethren, Soun Tendo, place the ring on your beloved's finger, and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed.' Then Hinako, you will do the same."

Soun took the ring from the priest and with a trembling hand, slid it on the ring finger of Hinako's left hand. He lifted her hand up and lightly kissed the ring and said, "With this ring, I thee wed."

Hinako calmly and serenely took the other ring from the priest and placed it on Soun's ring finger. She likewise lifted up his left hand and lightly kissed the ring and repeated the vow, "With this ring, I thee wed."

Ranma watched as a tear began to roll down Akane's cheek. He handed her a tissue, and she lightly daubed her cheek.

Soun and Hinako picked up sprigs of the sakaki tree and placed them on the altar. Then they bowed once, then again. Finally, they clapped their hands, one time, and then bowed once more.

The priest raised his hands above them in blessing. Then he bowed slightly to them, and walked up the aisle and out the door, as the family members began to cheer.

Soun and Hinako laced their fingers together, and followed the priest outside. As they appeared, the crowd of people that had arrived for the reception began to cheer.

* * *

Ranma carried a coupled of plates of food over to where Akane was waiting for him. He traded a plate for a drink and they sat down. His eyes lit up as Ukyo walked in carrying his niece, with Ryoga following close behind.

"We missed you guys at the ceremony, you were supposed to be in there as part of the family," Ranma said softly, "I was worried that something might have happened to you."

Ukyo laughed gaily and replied, "No, we were actually here in time for the ceremony, but somebody woke up and decided she was hungry. So I borrowed your bedroom, and fed her. By the time she was done, so was the wedding."

"That's a pretty good excuse," Akane said, "No one would begrudge a little one her meal. How's she been?"

"Aside from the midnight feedings, she's actually sleeping pretty much through the night," Ryoga replied. He asked, "Do you want something to eat?"

"That would be nice," Ukyo replied, "But I'll go." She handed Yuki to Ryoga and walked over to the groaning tables of food. Shampoo, Nodoka, and she had outdone themselves with the food preparation.

Nodoka walked over and joined Ukyo. "How are you feeling, dear?" she asked. "Are you getting enough sleep?"

Ukyo pointed to the slight bags under her eyes and replied, "I'm doing okay, still a little sore as you might expect. And yeah, I could kill for another hour of sleep each night."

"That brings back memories," Nodoka said with a wry grin, "Ranma used to keep me up all hours of the night. And Genma wasn't real good with him, I think he was afraid that he might drop him." Her eyes grew distant as she remembered the first few years of her son's life. "Let me help you," she said after a moment.

Ukyo grinned and said, "Thanks, mom. Trying to juggle both plates was getting to be a bit much." She handed Nodoka the tray that she had been preparing for her husband. "Ryoga's been a big help. He does the midnight feeding, though I think he's gonna be a little more careful," Ukyo said with a grin.

"Careful about what?" Nodoka asked.

With a big grin, Ukyo described the accident that Ryoga had had with the cold water a few nights previously, and the interesting results from that. Nodoka began to laugh as she pictured the scene.

"Oh my, daughter, you are going to have such an interesting life," Nodoka finally said once she had recovered her composure. By that time, they had joined her children, with Nodoka handing the tray she was carrying to Ryoga.

"What was so funny, Mom?" Ranma asked, as he polished off the last of his food.

Once again, Ukyo told her story, while Ryoga got more and more embarrassed. When she was done, Ranma chuckled for a moment and then said, "Note to self, when Akane and I finally start our family, always wear a shirt when feeding baby."

"I'm glad someone is going to learn something from my mistake," Ryoga said. He paused and then added, "Actually, it felt kind of good. Like we were bonding in a way. I know aside from the silliness of the situation, I actually envy Ukyo her ability to nurse Yuki."

"Wait until she starts teething, and then you'll not envy me anything," Ukyo said.

Yuriko walked over and bent down to look at Yuki. "Is this your granddaughter, Nodoka?" she asked.

"Yes, this is Yuki, daughter of Ryoga and Ukyo Hibiki. I don't think you've actually been introduced to any of them yet," Nodoka said, "Yuriko Ninomayi, this is my daughter Ukyo, and her husband Ryoga. Daughter, son, this is Yuriko, mother of Hinako."

"Our pleasure," Ryoga said gallantly, bowing slightly to the older woman, "I can see where Hinako gets her beauty from."

"Oh my," Yuriko said, with a faint blush, "What a nice young man!"

Kasumi walked over to her father, trailed by her husband. She hugged him and said, "Congratulations, Daddy. I hope you two are very happy." She turned to Hinako and hugged her, lightly kissing her cheek. "Welcome to our family. You have been great for my father, and I couldn't be happier. I hope you enjoy your honeymoon." She grimaced slightly.

"Kasumi, I think you need to go rest for a bit," Tofu suggested, as he wrapped his arms lightly around her.

"Take good care of her," Soun said, "While we are gone."

"I will, sir. But, if things progress like they seem to be doing, you'll be a grandfather when you get back," Tofu said.

"Imagine, a grandmother at my age," Hinako said with a giggle.

"But we should be there," Soun said.

"NO, Daddy," Kasumi said, uncharacteristically forceful, "You take your new bride on the honeymoon that she deserves."

"Besides, Daddy," Nabiki said from the table where she was collecting the gifts that the people were bringing, "I spent a lot of money making the arrangements, and you wouldn't want to waste it. You know how I can get if someone is wasting money, remember?"

"Help me upstairs, Tofu," Kasumi said, "And then you can come down and enjoy the reception."

Meanwhile, Ukyo was watching in amazement as more and more people were lining up to congratulate Soun on his marriage. "Look at all of the people, there must be several hundred already here and more coming," she said softly, "No wonder Kasumi was so adamant about needing a lot of food."

"Daddy is on the town council, so a lot of people look up to him. And some of them are here because of the regard they have for Kasumi and Tofu," Akane said, "But this is bigger than I expected."

"Look at Nabiki over at the table where she's collecting the gifts. She can't seem to quit smiling, and the way she's rubbing her hands together in glee. I just don't have the words for it," Ranma said.

Ryoga glanced over and said, "Oh, I think I've seen that look before."

"Where?" Akane demanded.

"Oh, several times as a matter of fact, but the one I remember the best is the look on Ukyo's face the day we, um, well, started our family, if you know what I mean," Ryoga replied.

Ranma glanced over at Akane who was blushing furiously, while Ukyo whacked Ryoga on the head with her battle spatula. "You're not supposed to talk about things like that," Ukyo said.

"What was that all about?" Ranma asked.

Akane leaned over and whispered in Ranma's ear, and he promptly blushed. Then Akane gasped, and said, "The mayor came. Look!" as she pointed at the man greeting her father.

"Congratulations, Tendo, for obtaining such a fine wife. She is much more than you deserve, eh, old man," the mayor said with a grin.

"Do we ever deserve our wives?" Tendo shot back, catching the mayor's wife with a wink.

"I've told him that for years," the woman replied, nudging her husband with her elbow. She turned to Soun and said, "I am very happy for you. I know it has been difficult raising your daughters since your wife passed away, so this young girl will be a great blessing for you."

"I know I didn't earn a second chance at happiness, after Kimiko, but then Hinako came, and well, I guess you could say I got lucky," Soun said, as Hinako blushed.

"I'm glad you could make our reception," Hinako said.

"Are you sure you can keep up with her? You are much older than she is," the mayor teased.

Soun buffed his nails on his coat and said, "I think I can. I am a martial artist, after all, and as such I am in better shape than most men my age."

"I'm sure that I will have no complaints," Hinako purred.

"Where are you going on your honeymoon?" the mayor asked.

Soun replied, "I actually don't know. My daughter Nabiki made all of the arrangements. We are just supposed to go to the station this evening."

"Congratulations, again. We'd better let you greet some of your other guests," the mayor's wife said, as she pulled her husband away and over toward the buffet tables.

"I guess it's too late to ask if you think I'm too old for you," Soun said, sotto voce.

Hinako wrapped her arms around him and said, "Yes, entirely too late. You're stuck with me now, and I couldn't be happier."

Sayuri came over to Ukyo and said, "We're starting to run out of your okonomiyakis."

Ukyo handed her child over to Ryoga and asked, "Is there still plenty of batter?"

"Yes, I think so, it was just all of the ones that you prepared are nearly gone," Sayuri said.

"I'll go turn my grill back on," Ukyo said.

"Thanks, sis," Ranma said, softly, "I appreciate what you are doing for us."

"You and Yuka have been a big help, too, Sayuri," Akane added.

Nodoka asked, "How is the rest of the buffet holding up? Are we doing okay?"

"We could use a little help," Sayuri admitted, "Lime and Shampoo have been working continuously in the kitchen, and they could use a short break."

Ranma sighed, and said, "Let me go change, and I'll give you a hand. Mom, you've been up since the crack of dawn cooking. Keep Mrs. Ninomayi company."

"Are you sure, Ranma?" Nodoka asked.

"Yeah, I know my way around a kitchen, you know that?" Ranma replied, as he got up.

"I'll go with you," Akane said. The two of them went into the house. "Why are you going to go change? It's okay for guys to cook," Akane asked once they were in the house.

"Uh, I meant change my clothing. I didn't want to get anything on this suit," Ranma said, "But now that I think about it, I probably ought to be a girl. All that cold water when I'm cooking, I'll just end up changing anyway."

Akane said, "Okay, you go upstairs, and I'll bring you some water." He lightly kissed her and headed toward the stairs, while Akane went into the kitchen for some water. "Ranma and I will be in here in a few minutes, we just need to change, and then we can give you two a break," she said to Lime and Shampoo.

"Thanks Akane, we could use one," Shampoo said, "Besides, I need to track down my wayward husband."

"I thought Ryoga was the one who got lost, don't tell me that Taro has that problem," Akane teased, as she walked out the door with the water.

* * *

Yuka walked into the kitchen where Ranma and Akane were busily employed. She giggled at the sight of the currently red-haired girl, wearing a flowery apron, with the words 'Anything Goes School of Martial Arts Cooking,' embroidered on it. "How's the ramen doing?" Yuka asked, her eyes still dancing with mirth as she watched Ranma glide gracefully to the stove.

Ranma carefully tasted the contents of several of the pots simmering on the stove. After a moment, she replied, "The shrimp-flavored ramen is ready, but the pork-flavored and chicken-flavored noodles are still a little undercooked. They need a few more minutes, I think."

"Good, the shrimp is what we're out of, anyway," Yuka said as she picked up a pair of potholders.

"Be careful with that," Akane warned, "Not only is it hot, but it's pretty heavy." She stared down at the mess she was making and sighed. "Ranma, could you do this. I just can't seem to get the hang of this. Why is it so hard to crimp the edges of the gyozas, anyway?"

Ranma chuckled and said, "I don't mind. You can start up the next pot of ramen while I finish those off. Then, I think we need to make a few dozen yakitoris. Oh, how's the sushi doing out there? Do we need to run a couple of trays out?"

Yuka thought for a moment and said, "Yeah, we could use some of the salmon and tuna, either sushi or sashimi, probably both." She carefully gripped the pot with the potholders and lifted. "Damn, you weren't kidding," she grunted as she headed out the door.

Ranma moved over to the table, while Akane walked over to the sink to start filling another pot with water. Ranma quickly began to crimp the edges of the already stuffed pastries together with her fingers, making it look effortless, and then placing them in the basket ready for steaming.

"I should hate you for that, you know?" Akane teased, "Making it look that easy."

"I've just had lots of practice," Ranma replied, absently as she continued to work.

A female voice said, "Ranma?"

Ranma turned and replied, "Yes, what…" only to stop as she saw the shocked expression on Mrs. Ninomayi's face.

"Ranma?" she asked, hesitantly.

A look of annoyance flashed across her face, as Ranma replied, "Yeah, this is me, too."

"B-but you're supposed to be a guy," Yuriko stammered, "At least I sure thought you were."

Ranma sighed and said, "Yeah, well, appearances to the contrary, I really was born male. But thanks to my dumbass Pop, I picked up this wonderful curse in China, so that when I get wet with cold water, I change to a girl." She shrugged her shoulders and said, "At least it's not too bad. I just wish I was as tall as Akane so we could share clothing. Do you know how much extra room it takes in our closet for me to have two different wardrobes?"

"You certainly seem to be handling this reasonably well," Akane noticed.

Yuriko chuckled and said, "Hey, my daughter was turned into an aura-sucking vampire that changed her from one form to a younger form. After that, I can believe just about everything. But how can you be so calm about this? Isn't this odd?"

"Since there doesn't seem to a cure, I've decided to just get on with my life," Ranma replied.

"Does my daughter know about this?" Yuriko asked.

"Oh yes, she very definitely does," Ranma replied.

Yuriko frowned for a moment and then said, "I wonder why she didn't tell me."

"Probably because it wasn't her story to tell," Akane replied, "And maybe she wasn't sure how you would take it, I suppose."

Yuriko shook her head and said, "No, I always supported her. She wouldn't have had any reason to worry about my reaction. Her father was the reason that she had to leave." She hesitated for a moment and asked, "You said she definitely knew about this. Would you like to explain that?"

Ranma blushed down to the top of her breasts and replied, "It had to do with how we cured her."

"You are planning on explaining that, I suppose?" Yuriko asked, "Especially since you've got me curious."

Akane sighed and replied, "Let's just say that Ranma and I are more familiar with her body than we'd like to be. And Ranma was always female when we did the cure, which involved some shiatsu points on, well, several intimate places, her breasts and ass, basically. And to make sure we got the right places, well, Hinako always took her clothes off."

"Oh my stars, that has got to be so embarrassing for all of you. And you two must care for her a great deal to have done that for her," Yuriko exclaimed.

"We care for her a great deal, but just think how embarrassed she must be, Yuriko-san, to be naked in front of two of her students," Ranma said, quietly.

"Actually, I think she must care for you greatly to trust her innermost being to you like that," Yuriko said, "She hasn't shared a public bath since she became aware of what happened to her."

Akane and Ranma traded glances and Ranma said, "Your daughter, no dammit, Hinako is very special to both of us. What she has done for Dad since her cure has only made her dearer to us. But that had to come from someone and I'm guessing that person must have been you. Thank you for raising such a wonderful woman."

"Like she said," Akane said fervently, "Welcome to our family, Ninomayi-san."

Yuriko walked over and hugged the two of them, and siad, softly, "Please, my name is Yuriko. I would be honored if you would call me by my name."

Akane smiled and said, "I would be honored, Yuriko."

"As would I, but I guess you probably came in here for something besides this," Ranma said, with a laugh.

"True, Sayuri actually sent me in for the sashimi," Yuriko said with a grin.

"It's in the refrigerator," Akane said, "There are several trays, but just take the one."

Yuriko opened the door and pulled out a tray of sashimi. "Thank you for curing my daughter, I owe you much more than I can ever repay," she said. She walked out the door, while Ranma placed the basket of gyozas into the steamer and closed it.

* * *

Shampoo was concerned. No, actually Shampoo was extremely worried. She had lost sight of Lime somehow during the reception. At first, the other girl had seemed to be happy, watching the other merry-makers as they celebrated Soun and Hinako getting married, but as the afternoon wore on, her mood worsened. Finally, during one of their breaks from preparing food, the young Chinese girl had disappeared somewhere in the house. Shampoo opened the door to the last upstairs bedroom, and there she found Lime sitting on the bed, looking out the window.

Lime looked up as the door opened, and angrily wiped her face. "Do you need some help downstairs?" she asked.

Shampoo ran over and wrapped her arms around her friend. "That's not why I came after you. What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," Lime replied.

"Yeah, right. Like I'm supposed to believe that. Those were tears that I saw on your face," Shampoo said.

"It's silly," Lime said.

Shampoo rested her chin on Lime's head and said, "If it has you this upset, it can't be silly. You know you can talk to me about it. What else are friends for?"

Lime shivered in Shampoo's arms and then sighed heavily. "I thought I could handle this," she began, "Losing Prince Herb, my people, and changing who I am, but the wedding this morning just showed me how much I gave up. Why can't I have the man I love?"

"I don't know, Lime. Life just isn't fair sometimes," Shampoo said, "But if he couldn't see past who you once were, he isn't worthy of you. You deserve someone who can love you for who you are."

Lime smiled weakly and said, "Thanks, Shampoo. I just don't know why I'm so emotional."

Shampoo thought for a moment and said, "I expect it's several things coming together. Deciding to stay female, confessing your love of Prince Herb and it not being returned, his leaving, Mint leaving, the probability of you being pregnant. Starting a new life with us, all of that has to have an impact on you. It just all came to a breaking point today when you saw how happy Tendo and Hinako are, and you wanted that." She paused and then added, "But you have a family here whether you realized it or not. I think of you has another sister, and in case you hadn't noticed, Mom is taking you under her wing too. She has this saving people thing. Ranma and Akane care for you, so don't think that no one wants you."

* * *

The reception was finally over, and all of the guests had left, leaving only the extended family and firm friends behind. Soun and Hinako had left over an hour ago to the cheers of all of the guests, but they had stayed until all of the food that was on the tables was gone. Everyone spent the next several minutes cleaning things up and then they collapsed in the family room exhausted.

"You know, I'm really glad we eloped," Kasumi said, "This was entirely too much work."

"I'm surprised at you, sis," Nabiki teased, "I thought you enjoyed cooking."

"I do enjoy cooking, that is when I get to do it. You guys pretty much banned me from the kitchen, remember," Kasumi growled. She blinked for a moment, and blushed. "Oh dear, that was uncalled for," she said, softly.

"It's been a long day for you, Kasumi," Tofu said, "Even with the nap you had, it's no real surprise to me that you're a little wound up. Maybe even a bit testy."

"Don't patronize me, dear," Kasumi replied. She winced then, and stood up.

"You okay?" Akane asked.

Kasumi replied, "Yes, I'm fine. The baby just moved again, and now she's pressing on my bladder." She walked out the door, heading for the toilet.

"Uh, Ranma, guess what?" Akane said, sweetly.

Ranma asked, "Uh, what?"

"You get to have our children," Akane said, "If that's what being pregnant does to someone as sweet as Kasumi, I'm pretty sure I don't want to go through with that."

Ranma gave her an evil look and said, "Unless you're hiding something from me, it'll be a bit difficult for you to get me pregnant. Just aren't equipped correctly for that, though I'm very happy with the way you are equipped." He grinned and said, "Maybe we'll just adopt, then."

"Who knows, maybe when you get pregnant, it'll be as smooth as Ukyo's," Ryoga interjected.

"Uh, speak for yourself, Ryoga dear. I was the one carrying around what felt like a six-kilo bowling ball in my stomach, and the constant pressure on my bladder was never any fun, either," Ukyo said, "It's good thing she's so cute, or you'd be sleeping on the couch." She smiled to show she was teasing, or at least Ryoga hoped she was.

Lime sat quietly in the corner, listening to what appeared to her to be horror stories. 'Did I really know what I was doing?' she thought, as her face paled.

Shampoo walked over and hugged her. "Lime will be fine," she said quietly, "When the time comes."

"But they're making it sound so bad," Lime whispered back.

Shampoo shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'm not really an expert, since I never have a baby, but it's only pain from what I've been told. Lime is a Musk warrior, can she not handle a little pain?"

Lime snorted and replied, "Of course I can."

"Besides, look at how happy spatula-girl looks, when she holds her baby. That how Lime will look," Shampoo said.

* * *

Author's Notes: Once again, another installment in this story. I appreciate all of the reviews, and welcome them. Specific comments are below:

evilKaishuku: Grumble, grumble, I thought I had fixed all of those misspelled Genma's. I guess I need to go look again.

Xero Reflux Strike: Bad image indeed, but necessary for the plot. I wanted a pretty angsty chapter and I think I succeeded.

Neon-ronin: Actually, I deliberately left Ranma and Akane out of that last chapter. While they are the main characters, I wanted to try to allow some of the others their fifteen minutes of fame. Some of the other Nerima crazies will show up, but I need to tread carefully, since I don't want this fiction to read like Second Time Around, and some of the same characters will be making their appearances soon. And I agree, I couldn't see Herb actually coming to terms with Lime as a woman.

Shinigami: I know I never know where to look when my wife drags me into the lingerie section. Even at my age, it's embarrassing as hell. Single moms have my deepest respect and sympathy. Hopefully, that will show as this story progresses.

majinbuu7985: This story tends to be a bit more character driven, so I don't write a lot of fights in this one. I do need to show a few, though, since Ranma is a martial artist.

Borg rabbit: Thank you. I'm not sure yet how Herb will react if he finds out about Lime. I have several conflicting ideas on when that might happen. That is an interesting plot twist. I need to let that percolate for a while.

Wonderbee31: That's one of the reasons I wrote that chapter the way I did. There had been too many things working out for the best in the other chapters, so I wanted something that wasn't. Lime will have some more sad moments, because she did pick a difficult path to walk.

Ss4-link: I agree, this story line needed to be written, as painful as the characters might feel. And while my forte is probably the WAFFY stuff, I wanted to stretch and write some angst.

Martrex: Then I succeeded in what I was trying to do. I sure wanted to write a very sad, angst-filled chapter, since so much of this story had been very light.

Innortal: Thanks, this one was painful to write. But, to be honest, if I want to grow as a writer, I have to learn how to write painful stuff, not just fluff.

Dragon Man 180: Lime will be single for some time. Whether I pair her up with someone else, or if Herb comes back hasn't been decided. As to Ranma and Akane's training with Herb, there won't be any direct results, more skill enhancement than anything else. If you remember in canon, Ranma only modified some of his existing techniques to beat Herb, so that's basically where I was going.


	60. New Arrival

Chapter 60 New Arrival

Soun opened the door to what had become his daughter's home and followed his new wife in. The two of them gratefully dropped their luggage to the floor, and slipped out of their shoes, placing them in the cubby that Kasumi had discretely placed in one corner of the entry hall.

"Do you think something is wrong," Hinako asked, anxiously, "since no one met us at the station? They did know when we were arriving, didn't they?"

"Nabiki made all of the arrangements, and she wouldn't forget a detail like that," Soun replied, "I'm sure something came up, is all. Let's just go find where everyone is." He called, "Hellooo, we're home!" He took Hinako by the hand and the two of them walked down the long hall and entered the family room. As they entered from that hallway, Ranma stepped into the room from the engawa, the long hall that ran around the outside of the house.

Ranma grinned at the two of them and said, in a low voice, "Keep your voices down, we just got them back to sleep." His grin grew sly and he added, "Grandfather."

Soun began to babble excitedly, but paying attention to Ranma's admonition, he kept it quiet, while happy tears began to make tracks down his cheek.

"When?" Hinako asked, her eyes bright with excitement.

"The day after your wedding, actually," Akane said as she stepped into the room from behind them. She smiled and said, "Welcome back, how was the trip?"

'The trip was fine," Hinako began.

"Just fine? Daddy, I'm disappointed in you!" Nabiki replied, dryly as she entered the room, bags evident under her eyes.

Hinako arched one eyebrow and putted, "Your father, my husband, has nothing to be ashamed of."

Nabiki merely chuckled at the sally and asked, "So how does it feel to be a grandmother, Hinako?"

"I'm excited," Hinako admitted. She grinned and said, "Of course, I didn't really expect to be one this young growing up, but now that it's happened, I'm ecstatic. So, how is every one? I'm just so happy for Kasumi and Tofu!"

"Kasumi is fine, though she still tires easily. It was a long delivery. Doc was pretty much out of it when she went into labor that evening. Even the pressure points didn't seem to snap him out of his daze, but he's over it now that the excitement is done," Ranma replied, seemingly amused by something.

"Poor Ranma had to stand in for him during the delivery," Nabiki said, smirking at her brother-in-law.

"Yeah, I still don't have feeling in that hand, and the claw marks are still fresh," Ranma said, half in jest, "Kasumi has one hell of a grip."

"I'm just glad we explained about your curse before you went in," Akane said, her eyes dancing, "They were able to handle it when you changed in mid-delivery. It's amazing how that water pitcher managed to get spilled on you. You really are a water magnet."

"Yeah, aren't I though? You know it's probably just as well that Doc was zoned out in the waiting room," Ranma added, "You know how he can be about her getting hurt. Can you imagine how he would have reacted to her being in pain for as long as she was?"

Soun simply nodded, finally speechless, though no one had really paid him much attention since he had mostly been saying gibberish.

"So where are they?" Hinako asked, "And when can we see the baby?"

Ranma rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and stammered, "Well, you see, we needed more space than we thought, so well,"

"What my husband, the brave martial artist, who's not afraid of anything, is trying to say, is that they are sleeping in your old room, Daddy. It is the biggest bedroom on this floor, and well, we didn't want Kasumi having to walk downstairs, at least any more than she has to," Akane interjected, throwing a scathing look at her husband.

"We moved your things to Kasumi's room," Nabiki said, yawning, "I'm going back to bed now that they're asleep. I'll talk to you guys later when I'm awake." She turned and disappeared back down the hall to the stairs.

"That's okay with you, isn't it, Daddy?" Akane asked anxiously.

"Of course it is. That actually should be your room, anyway, as owners of the house," Soun replied with a shrug.

"And we've actually planned on moving into my apartment," Hinako added, "At least until the lease is up. That way, everyone would have a little privacy."

"Whatever makes the two of you the happiest," Akane said.

"But you're welcome to stay here as long as you want," Ranma added, "I'd really not feel right about chasing you away from your home."

Soun chuckled, and said, "That means a great deal to me, son, but, we'd do better somewhere else for a while. This place has many good memories, but Hinako and I need to be by ourselves for a few months to help me chase away some of the bad ones."

Ranma smiled in understanding. "I was thinking we might clean out the downstairs guestroom, and Akane and I might move in there," he said casually.

"And when we get enough money, I thought we might add a bath upstairs, with a shower stall," Akane added, "The plumbing might be a bit interesting, but Nabiki says she knows someone who knows someone who can do it."

"You two have been busy," Soun said after a minute, "Why the sudden changes?"

"Not really sudden," Ranma said, rubbing his chin in thought, "More planning for the future. While it may technically be our house, neither of us want Kasumi or Nabiki to leave, not unless they want to, and so we were just thinking about what it would take when we start having children, eventually. And that just seemed like a good thing to add, one day."

"Why was Nabiki so tired? And come to think about it, it doesn't look like you two have gotten a lot of sleep, either," Hinako asked, changing the subject since her husband had a troubled look on his face.

"Like she said, she hasn't gotten a lot of sleep. All those midnight wake-up calls, and it takes Kasumi and Doc a while to get things quiet. Even if she puts earplugs in her ears, she still seems to be able to hear the crying," Ranma replied, "Akane's the same way. She can't sleep through it either, and that generally wakes me up."

"Where is my son-in-law, anyway? Is he in there asleep, too?" Soun asked.

Akane chuckled and replied, "No, he's at the clinic trying to catch up on things. He's spent a lot of time here; making sure everyone is fine, so some of his patients got rescheduled. It's been a lot of adjustments for everyone, but we're making do."

"It's been good practice for us also," Ranma said, as he embraced his wife, "Watching Kasumi and Tofu feeding, and changing diapers, and the like. Of course, it also told me that we made a good decision not to have kids until we're out of school."

"No kidding. Can you imagine how hard it would be?" Akane added fervently, "No, I want to have most of college taken care of first, and maybe even graduate. Then, we can start planning for a child or two."

"Just two?" Ranma teased, "I thought we were going for six or seven."

"After what I saw Kasumi go through, I don't think so," Akane retorted, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Small family, check," Ranma said, "Though Mom may be disappointed. I think she wanted plenty of grandchildren to spoil."

"She should have had more children of her own then," Akane bantered.

Soun and Hinako traded looks and the two of them smiled. "Enough, children," Soun said, his tone light, then he turned thoughtful. "Since most of Hinako's stuff is still at her apartment, I think maybe we'll go ahead and move in there tonight. I can throw a few things into a bag and come back later for more," he said, looking at his wife for her approval.

"You just want to avoid those wake-up calls," Akane said, "Shame on you."

"That's part of it, I admit," her father replied, "But it will make things easier on everyone."

"Do you need any help?" Ranma asked.

"No, not today," Soun said, "It's not like I need much. And we'll come back later today to see my grandchild."

An identical mischievous look appeared on the young couple's faces, and Ranma said, "We'll look forward to seeing you."

Soun and Hinako headed out of the family room, presumably to pack a few things.

"Why didn't you tell them?" Akane asked.

"Why didn't you?" Ranma asked back.

* * *

Lime finished reading the letter that Mint had sent her, leaving the pages stained with her tears. "Well, at least it could have been a heroic death," she said, as she set the letter down on the counter in the kitchen.

"What was that?" Shampoo asked, as she sliced the ginger root that she needed in one of her recipes.

"Oh, this letter I got from Mint. It seems that my lord came up with a story to explain my absence. Apparently I got hit by a lorry while chasing after a girl," Lime said, choking back a sob. She smiled sardonically, and added, "I guess telling them that I was chasing a man wouldn't have gone over too well."

"If you're dead, how did he send you a letter?" Shampoo asked.

Lime replied, "He sent it in an envelope addressed to Saotome. That's how he'll continue to let me know how things are."

Shampoo placed her paring knife on the counter and walked over and hugged Lime. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. This just brings it home to me that I burned some bridges. I can't go back now, so all I can do is make a life for myself somewhere else," Lime replied.

"How's Prince Herb?" Shampoo asked after a few moments.

Lime giggled, surprising Shampoo. "Mint wrote that the first council meeting after they got back was interesting. His father was trying to finalize the wedding arrangements with the bride's father. They were discussing the dowry, I think, and the conversation managed to get heated, especially when the Chancellor started putting his oar in. My lord was there, talking to his intended, getting to know her, since this was the first time he had actually met her. Something, apparently he had insisted on, by the way, since our custom normally is not to see the bride until the ceremony," Lime began.

"That sounds a bit barbaric," Shampoo interjected.

Lime stared at her in disbelief and muttered, "Kiss of Death, Kiss of Marriage, ring any bells, oh pot?"

Shampoo looked a bit sheepish and said, "I never said we were civilized."

Lime flashed a grin at her and said, "That's probably why we get along so well, Warrior Princess."

"No more watching Xena for you. Besides, they got everything mostly wrong anyway," Shampoo said, "Anyway, back to your letter."

"Oh, right. My lord got annoyed with all of the discussion, and so did the girl. He stood up abruptly and someone spilled some drinks on him. The girl's father just about went apoplexic when he saw my lord change gender, and was about to call off the wedding, when the bride spoke up. Something else that hadn't happened in generations. A woman speaking in the council chamber. I wish I'd been a fly on the wall listening to that. Anyway, she told her father to stop being an idiot. That the reasons for the marriage were too important to call off because of a minor issue with the groom's gender. Those were her words by the way."

"That's an interesting turn of phrase," Shampoo said, giggling uncontrollably, "Minor issue with his gender. I like that."

"Remind me to tell Ranma that, I think he'll get a big kick out of it too," Lime said, her lips twitching in amusement. She added, "The girl added that she was eager to have the wedding, and that she was looking forward to working with my lord. He then explained that it was a Jusenkyo curse, and that he was unaware of any cure for it. He went on to say that if anyone had an issue with him being female occasionally to meet him outside in the arena and he would convince them otherwise. That shut the council up, since they are aware of his prowess. He then brought the roof down by declaring that one of the traditions that he was planning on modifying was who his chief advisor was going to be, and then saying it was going to be his wife."

"That's almost like someone going to Amazon council and declaring her husband would sit on council with her," Shampoo said in awe.

"I'm so proud of him. He is overturning hundreds of years of tradition," Lime said, "And as much as I hate to admit it, the woman he is marrying is worthy of him. She was ready to stand by his side, something that I would not be able to do."

"Are you going to write back and tell him?" Shampoo asked.

Lime shook her head and said, "No, not yet at least."

"Why not?" Shampoo asked, surprise evident in her voice, "He is the father, he has the right to know."

"I can't be his wife, so I'm not going to destroy his chance with the clan chief's daughter. That clan has been restive under the King's rule and this wedding will bring them back into the fold. For the sake of the Musk Dynasty, my lord must marry her, and telling him about the child would hurt that chance. Perhaps, one day, after he has an heir, then maybe," Lime replied, fervently. She looked troubled for a moment, and leaned into Shampoo's hug, as her friend squeezed her tightly.

"I am proud to be your friend, Lime. You are being very brave giving up a chance at happiness because of the needs of your people," Shampoo said gently, "Amazons understand marrying for dynastic reasons oh too well. I was almost killed by a rival of my Great Grandmother because she didn't like Taro being my Airen."

Lime sighed heavily and said, "Thank you, Shampoo. That helps a little bit. Knowing someone else thinks I did the right thing. Anyway, it's done. I just need to get on with my life, which at the moment means we should be preparing for the noon rush."

Shampoo smiled at her resiliency and said, "Okay, then can you start cutting up the chicken. I need to finish the rest of the vegetables." The two girls turned to the counter and began working industriously.

* * *

Ranma looked up from the wok where he was busily stir-frying a mixture of broccoli, red bell pepper, carrots, and scallions, as someone entered the room. He turned briefly and saw Hinako putting on an apron. "Welcome back," Ranma said.

"Looks like you could use a hand. What can I do?" Hinako asked.

Ranma looked around the kitchen and said, "Actually, aside from dumping the chicken in here and cooking it, I'm nearly done. You might check on the soup, see if it needs anything. And I haven't had a chance to brew any tea. The kettle's got hot water in it, but that's as far as I got."

"Where's everyone else?" Hinako asked as she tasted the miso soup. "This is pretty good, but it needs something," she said, "What do you think?" handing him the spoon.

Ranma tasted the soup and said, "Maybe a little salt, it's just a touch bland. Not too much though, maybe a pinch."

"That's what I was thinking," Hinako said as she found the saltshaker and put a little in the soup and stirred it in.

Ranma transferred the vegetables to a bowl, temporarily, and dumped the already cut up chicken breast into the wok, and began to let it brown slightly in the heated oil. He turned the heat up slightly and continued stirring the meat, turning it several times to keep it cooking evenly. "Kasumi is still in the bedroom, probably nursing, I would guess, and Akane is keeping her company," he replied, answering her original question, "Doc was soaking in the furo, and Nabiki is probably in her room doing her accounting, though she said she'd be down in time to help set the table. Is Dad in the family room?"

"Yes, he stopped off there, something about catching up on his reading," Hinako replied.

"We kept all of his newspapers, and set them in a stack by his shogi board," Ranma said, "Mom and Genko called a little while ago to say they were on their way. She's bringing something for the meal, but I forgot to ask what it was." He checked the chicken, and it was basically done, so he turned the heat back down, and tossed the vegetable back in. "Would you bring that bowl over and pour it in? That's the teriyaki sauce I made up," he asked.

Hinako picked up the small mixing bowl and brought it over to the wok and poured the sauce in. Ranma quickly stirred everything together, making sure the sauce coated everything.

"It smells delicious," Hinako said, "You're a good cook."

Ranma blushed, and said, "Thanks, but Kasumi is better at it. I'm just happy to help her out some. She definitely has her hands full right now." He checked and said, "Looks like this is done." He poured everything into a large serving dish and placed it on a tray.

Hinako began ladling out the soup into the array of bowls that were waiting, also on a tray.

Nabiki rushed in, and said, "Sorry, that took longer than I expected. What can I do?"

"Um, chopsticks, spoons, and the tea," Ranma said after a moment, "And the pickled vegetables from the refrigerator. They should already be in a bowl, just take the plastic off."

In short order, everything was ready and the three of them carried the meal into the family room. "Dinner is ready," Ranma called.

Soun sat down in his accustomed place, with Hinako kneeling down next to him. After a few moments, Akane came walking in, carrying a small blanket wrapped bundle in her arms, cooing lightly.

"Is that my grandchild?" Soun asked, eagerly.

"Yes, this is your granddaughter, Kimiko," Akane said, tenderly, as she carefully knelt down next to her father, to show him the fuzzy-haired little girl, who's eyes were fixed on Akane.

"They named her after your mother," Soun said, his eyes tearing up.

Tofu escorted his wife in, who was also carrying a blanket-wrapped bundle. "And this is your granddaughter, Kin, we named them after our mothers in honor and memory of those who have joined our ancestors," he said, as Kasumi carefully knelt down showing an identical fuzzy-haired little girl.

"Twins!" Soun exclaimed. He started weeping.

"Daddy, don't startle them, please," Kasumi said, tiredly, "Or we'll never get them to bed."

Hinako pulled Soun to her and kissed him soundly on the lips, immediately drying Soun's tears. "You promised," she said, firmly.

Soun hung his head in shame and said, "Yes, I did."

"We're here," Nodoka called from the front door.

"Dinner's ready, and we're in the family room," Nabiki called back.

A blur entered the family room, and settled down next to Akane. "Hello, little one," Genko lisped, her eyes bright as she watched her new relative, who returned the favor, blowing bubbles. "She's funny looking," the little girl announced.

"That wasn't a very nice thing to say," Akane said softly.

"No, look at the bubbles she's making," Genko protested.

"Hush," Nodoka said as she walked in carrying a large container. "I picked up some sushi on my way here," she added as she set the box down next to the table.

"Nabiki, if you could serve the rice, we can get started," Ranma suggested, as he began to pass around the bowls of soup.

Nodoka opened up the box, and pulled out a plastic tray filled with several different selections of sushi.

"Daddy, if you'd like something other than the tea, there's the cabinet behind you," Akane said.

"Maybe a little to celebrate the changes in our family would not be amiss," Soun said as he stood up and opened the cabinet and pulled out a bottle, and several cups.

Ranma surprised Akane by accepting a cup. "I thought we might toast both the wedding and the babies," he said, so she held out her hand for a cup.

"That's an excellent suggestion," Kasumi said, "But, none for me, obviously." She looked at her two girls, peacefully sleeping identical bassinets that Tofu had brought into the family room.

* * *

After dinner was over, Hinako asked, "Akane, Ranma, could we go someplace where we can talk?"

Ranma replied, "I really need to do the dishes, first."

"Go ahead, son. Nabiki and I can take care of that," his mother interjected, sending a look at Nabiki that stilled any protest from that quarter.

"Sure little brother," Nabiki added, "I don't mind. I didn't help as much as I should have fixing dinner, anyway."

"Why don't we go outside and sit by the pond. We can watch the sunset while we talk," Akane suggested.

With that decided, the family broke up into separate groupings. Nodoka and Nabiki headed into the kitchen, laden with dishes, and dragging a weakly protesting Genko with them. Her protests came to an abrupt halt with the casual mention by Nabiki of chocolate ice cream. Hinako, Akane and Ranma went outside and perched on the large rocks surrounding the koi pond, leaving a tipsy Soun with his daughter, her husband, and his two new granddaughters. Soun reached for his cigarettes, only to stop at a slight frown from Kasumi. "Sorry, daddy, not with the girls in the room," she said, serenely.

Ranma, Akane and Hinako sat in silence for several minutes, idly watching the koi swim in the pond, the flash of a fin or tail occasionally breaking the surface of the water, and catching the last glint of sunlight, as the sun sank toward a reddened horizon.

Finally, Akane asked, "What did you want to talk to us about, Hinako?"

Hinako blushed and replied, "It's a little silly, and I'm a bit embarrassed to bring it up, I suppose. Our relationship has changed and, well, I wanted to make sure that we were okay with the changes."

"Hinako, you are our teacher and more importantly our friend, and nothing has changed that. Just because you married Daddy doesn't affect the way we feel. If anything, it just gives us the chance to get even closer," Akane replied.

"Unless, of course, you plan on turning into one of those evil step-mothers, that were in all of those fairy tales you made us read last year in English Literature," Ranma added, with a cheeky grin.

"Jerk," Akane said, as she swatted him on the arm.

"Ouch, my wife beats me," Ranma said, pretending to wince.

Akane groaned and said, "That stopped being funny months ago."

"Can we get back on topic, you two? You two are worse than I was before I got cured," Hinako groused.

"Sorry," Ranma said. He paused and said, in a serious tone, "Akane was right, though, I don't see anything changing about the way we interact."

"I'm just afraid that because I'm both your teacher and your step-mother, that someone might think I was going easy on the two of you," Hinako admitted.

"That could be a problem, I suppose, but speaking for myself, I'd rather you didn't go easy on us. We want to do well on our college entrance exams and that means we need to know the material," Akane said, "If you go easy on us that won't help."

"She's right. And I'd rather not have to add cram school on top of our senior year," Ranma added, "And I know I don't want to go to one after our senior year if I don't do well on the exams."

"Now that doesn't mean you have to be harder on us than all of the rest of the students," Akane said, with a smile to show that she was mostly kidding.

Hinako grinned at her and said, "I would never do that."

Ranma rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, with a frown, "Actually, now that I think about it, having you and Dad living in your apartment is a good idea. That way it will be harder for people to think that you are giving us special treatment outside of class."

"They'll probably still say that, but there's not much we can do about it," Hinako said with a shrug, "But, I've already talked to the principal, and he's fine with you staying in my homeroom."

"Now, on to happier subjects, how was your honeymoon?" Akane asked.

"Akane, I can't believe you asked that," Ranma said, "And I certainly don't intend to hear the answer. Too much information, if you want my opinion."

"That's okay, it's girl talk anyway, and you aren't the right gender," Akane smirked.

"You two can embarrass yourselves, just don't compare notes, that's all I ask," Ranma pleaded, as he jumped carefully off the rock he was on, "I want to talk to Kasumi and Doc about something anyway." He bent over and lightly kissed her cheek, and headed back into the house.

"So how was it?" Akane asked, eagerly.

"Well, the inn was very nice," Hinako said.

* * *

Ranma entered the family room and stopped dead in his tracks, his cheeks flaming. "I'm sorry, Kasumi," he babbled.

Kasumi looked up from where she was nursing Kin and asked, a puzzled expression on her face, "What are you sorry for?"

"Um, seeing something that I really shouldn't," Ranma replied as he turned his back.

"Little brother, there's nothing for you to see, at least nothing that you haven't seem hundreds of times before," Kasumi said, "And besides, this is perfectly natural."

"She's right, Ranma," Tofu said, as he walked over to his brother-in-law, "So she's showing you a bit of breast, big deal."

"I know, it's just, oh I don't know, it didn't seem proper, for some reason," Ranma said quietly.

"Ranma, you're the one person I know I can trust with her," Tofu said.

Ranma gave a lopsided grin and said, "That's probably because Akane would kill me if I did anything I wasn't supposed to."

Tofu chuckled dryly and said, "No, it's because you are an honorable man."

Ranma blushed and said, "Now that you've embarrassed me sufficiently, I have..." He stopped, glancing around the room and finally realized that it was just the three of them, and the two babies. "What happened to Soun?" he asked.

"Oh, Daddy overdid the celebration, I guess. Anyway he drank enough that he fell asleep. I had Tofu take him into your room and lay him out on the bed," Kasumi replied. She looked a little worried and asked, "That's okay with you, isn't it?"

Ranma shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Just so long as he doesn't sick up, I guess. It's just as well because I wanted to talk to you in private, anyway. There's something I need some help with."

"Sure, what do you need?" Kasumi said, as she placed Kin on her shoulder and burped her.

Tofu walked over and traded babies with her, taking Kin in his arms and handing her Kimiko.

"You remember Lime, that friend of Shampoo's?" Ranma asked.

"Of course, such a sweet girl. Very quiet, and great help at the reception. She pitched in and helped with the catering and everything. I like her," Kasumi replied, adjusting her blouse so Kimiko could nurse.

"That's the one," Ranma replied.

"What about her?" Kasumi asked, "She seems to be a nice girl."

"Um, that's the thing I wanted to talk to you about, what I need help with," Ranma said, "You see, well, she wasn't originally a she, at least not physically."

"Oh, a transgendered person," Tofu said, surprised, "I've read about that in some of my physiology and psychology texts, but I've never actually met one. And I think I've seen some papers in a couple of my journals."

"But, she looks like a girl," Kasumi said, half in protest, only to stop at the gentle smile on Ranma's face. "Oh, how silly of me, she has a Jusenkyo curse, doesn't she?" she asked.

"Yes, and she decided to stay locked in female form," Ranma replied, "That way she can't change back with hot water."

Tofu frowned thoughtfully and said, "That's certainly a less painful method than the surgeries and drug regimens that the other transgenders have done to rectify their condition."

"So what do you need from us?" Kasumi asked.

Ranma rubbed the back of his neck nervously and said, "Well, I thought she might need some one to talk to her about why she felt the way she did, and why she made the choices she did. I'm probably not saying this very well, but, I'm not that person. I mean, just because I can change into a girl, doesn't mean I am one. So I can't relate to her on that level."

"You think she needs a woman's touch, or something?" Kasumi asked.

"Not necessarily, just someone who can help her work through all of her emotions. This has got to be a trying time for her. After all, her entire world just changed over the last month or so," Ranma replied, "Akane and I are helping, just by accepting her for who she is, and so are Shampoo and Taro. But, I don't know if that's enough."

"Why don't you call and invite Shampoo over and suggest that she bring Lime, dear?" Kasumi said to her husband, "Shampoo hasn't had a chance to see the girls other than at the hospital."

"That's a good idea, get some social interaction. Maybe one of us can chat with her and let her know that she isn't the first person to feel that they were born the wrong gender, and that she isn't weird because of it," Tofu said, heading for the phone.

Suddenly, the sound of a herd of elephants came thundering down the hall from the kitchen. They looked up as Genko ran into the family room, and ran over and hugged her brother.

"Sticky hands! Sticky face!" Ranma exclaimed, as Nodoka came running in after her wayward daughter.

"Sorry, son, she got away from me," his mother said, as she grabbed Genko.

"Nooooo! I wanna stay with Ranma!" Genko said, loudly.

"Inside voice, little one," Ranma said, putting his finger over her mouth, "We don't want to upset the babies."

"They're boring!" Genko caroled, "They don't do anything."

Ranma chuckled and said, "That'll change soon enough. Right now, yeah, mostly the just eat, sleep, and make really smelly messes." He made a point of sniffing, and said, with a grin, "Like now, Kasumi."

"You can change Kin, I've got my hands full here," Kasumi pointed out.

Ranma said, "You've got to be kidding me! The advantage of being an uncle is never having to change diapers." He grinned at her and said, "Besides, I've never done it before."

"There's no time like the present to learn, son," Nodoka informed him, "I'll walk you through it."

"Traitor," Ranma said, with a smile, "Well, she's not getting changed by us talking about it." He walked over to Kin and picked her up, gingerly, and placed her against his shoulder. "Okay, toxic waste here, let's go get you changed." He followed his mother out of the family room, and down the engawa to the master bedroom.

Tofu walked in and said, "Shampoo and Lime are coming right over. Where's Ranma?"

"He drew the short straw," Kasumi said, giggling, "Kin needed a change."

"Good, he's taking my turn," Tofu said.

"Oh no you don't! The next one is yours," Kasumi objected. She looked down at the fuzzy head nestling up to her and said, "Looks like your done, little one." She gently pulled the baby away, and patted her back, being rewarded by a loud burp.

* * *

Several minutes later, Ranma came walking back into the room, his face slightly green, carrying Kin. His mother was right behind him, her eyes dancing with suppressed laughter. "Here, Tofu, I believe this belongs to you," he said quickly, handing the biological warfare factory to her father.

Akane was sitting next to Kasumi, idly chatting. She looked up and asked, "So how was changing your first diaper, Ranma?"

"We're adopting, after they're potty trained," Ranma answered, half serious, "I've seen some disgusting things, but that has got to be the worst."

Akane giggled, only to have Kasumi grin at her and say, "What are you laughing at? You can change Kimiko when she needs it next, and unless my nose is mistaken, it's time."

Akane blanched and looked pitifully at her sister, who gave her no mercy and her niece, at the same time.

Ranma grinned and said, "Have fun, and remember to hold your breath. And just be glad they're girls. At least they can't get you while the diaper is off."

"Come on dear, I showed Ranma, the least I can do is show you," Nodoka said.

"Thanks, Mom," Akane said, standing up very reluctantly. The two of them disappeared, Akane carefully carrying Kimiko.

"For such a sweet pair of babies, they certainly can be noxious," Hinako said.

Kasumi chuckled for a few moments and then asked, "Have you thought about children?"

Hinako went a bit misty-eyed and replied, "We haven't really talked about it. It's funny, I don't know why we haven't. I guess, maybe because I sort of all ready have a family, but yes, I think maybe I'd like to have a child of my own. I couldn't before, what with that curse and all, but now that it's gone, there's no reason why we shouldn't. He's not too old, or anything." She paused, and then asked, "Would it bother you?"

"No, why should it?" Kasumi asked.

Ranma looked at the two women and then interjected, "I think I can speak for all of us that so long as you and Soun are happy, we really don't have a problem with anything you two do." He paused for a moment, and then said, "Well, except for seeing you two be intimate on the dinner table." He studiously ignored Kasumi's blush, and Tofu's start of surprise.

Hinako giggled, and replied, "I'm pretty sure that won't happen. We'll make sure no one is here if we decide to do that."

"Entirely too much info, Hinako, and there still is a little girl here," Tofu reminded them.

Genko piped up, "I think you'd make a good mommy, Auntie. You're nice and you talk to me and play with me. And you're pretty too."

"Why thank you, Genko dear, but Auntie isn't quite, oh never mind," Hinako replied, "You can call me that." She grinned and said, "That's probably easier than explaining that I'm Ranma's stepmother-in-law, and I don't have a clue what that makes the two of us."

"Family," Ranma suggested, with a cheeky grin.

Hinako laughed gaily and said, "I like the sound of that, Ranma, I really do." She walked over and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Hey, stop flirting with my husband," Akane teased, "If you want to kiss someone, go find yours. I think he's snoring still in our bedroom."

"Oh but they're more fun when they're awake and can kiss back," Hinako retorted.

Akane smirked and said, "And other things." She walked over and placed Kimiko in her bassinet. She turned to Ranma and said, "You're right. Definitely potty-trained, or we don't want them."

"Tadaima!" Shampoo called from the entry hall.

"We're in here!" Akane replied. She asked, "Where's Nabiki?"

"She said something about meeting Mousse. Some movie that he wanted to take her to, in downtown Tokyo proper," Nodoka replied, "It's some artsy thing, with subtitles."

Shampoo walked in, with Lime hiding behind her.

"Hi Shampoo, Lime, glad you guys could come by," Hinako said, "I really didn't get a chance to tell either of you how much I appreciated your help at the reception. We couldn't have pulled it off without your hard work."

"I was happy to help, Miss Ninomayi," Shampoo said, then blushed, "I mean, Mrs. Tendo."

"Hinako is fine outside of class, Shampoo," Hinako said, with a smile, "And don't worry, I still have trouble with my last name."

"I was happy as well, Mrs. Tendo," Lime said shyly.

"Well let's get this over with. Ladies, this is my daughter Kin, named after my mother," Tofu said, holding out the baby in his arms.

"And this one is Kimiko, named after our mother," Kasumi added, nodding at the baby peacefully napping on Akane's shoulder.

Lime and Shampoo spent several minutes oohing and aahing over the two little girls, and holding them in their arms. A wistful looked passed quickly across Shampoo's face, as she handed Kimiko back to Kasumi, with a deep, heartfelt sigh.

"What's the matter, Shampoo dear?" Kasumi asked.

"Oh, just that girls's my age in our village have babies. I was just wondering what it would be like, that's all. But, it's too soon for me to think about starting a family. Great-grandmother told me that I need to finish school first, and I have to agree with her," Shampoo replied, "Too much to do at café to do otherwise. I don't know how Ukyo is going to handle everything now that she has Yuki."

"We'll help her if she asks for it," Ranma said, with a shrug, "But she and Ryoga have a great deal of pride. And I think his mother was planning on working with them for at least a few months. Now that she doesn't get lost anymore, she'll be a great help."

Tofu walked over to Lime and said, "We didn't get properly introduced before, but I'm Tofu Ono."

"I know, Doctor Ono," Lime said, "Ranma told me."

"Nothing so formal, call me Tofu, or Doc," Tofu said, "Any friend of Shampoo is a friend of all of us here."

"He's right, Lime," Kasumi said, "You're one of us now."

Lime burst into tears and fled the room. Kasumi traded looks with Tofu and he rushed after the distraught girl, finding her struggling to put her shoes on by the front door.

"What brought that on?" Tofu asked, in a kindly voice.

"I don't know!" Lime wailed, sobbing.

Tofu pulled her to him in a light embrace and let her cry herself out on her shoulder. "Why don't we go find someplace to talk, and maybe we can figure out what's going on?" he suggested after the worst of the storm was over.

"I'm sorry," Lime blubbered, "I really don't know what's wrong with me." She smiled weakly and said, "I could use an older person to talk to, I suppose. Shampoo has been very nice but she's still only my age."

"Ranma has told me what little he knows about your life, and I might be able to give you some insight," Tofu said, leading her into the backyard, and onto the steps of the dojo. "We'll have a little privacy here," Tofu said, putting on his best bedside manner. He hesitated, looking for the right words, and then said, "As you know, I'm a doctor, mostly a specialist in moxibustion, but I do keep up with what happens in medicine. And Kasumi is planning a medical career, and has memorized most if not all of my books and journals. And while neither of us are experts on the subject, apparently you're what they call a transgendered person, someone who believes that they were born the wrong gender."

"You mean I'm not alone? I'm not the only person that's ever felt this way?" Lime asked, her eyes lighting up with interest.

"No, you're not. I don't remember what the books said about how common the condition is, but most people with this condition go through extensive counseling to help them adjust to what they are feeling, and some even go so far as to physically change to the right gender through the use of surgery and extensive hormone treatments," Tofu said, in an academic voice, that was surprisingly soothing to Lime's taut nerves.

"Tofu-san, you've already helped me more than you know by telling me that I'm not the only person who felt wrong in their body. I can't describe the relief I felt when I woke up like this, I felt, I don't know, whole, complete, like I was were I belonged," Lime said, almost giddy.

"Getting a girl curse certainly seems to be the best thing that could have happened to you," Tofu agreed, "But that doesn't mean everything will be rosy for you from now on."

"I know that, Tofu-san. I've already lost the man that I love to his sense of honor and duty. And if I'm honest with myself, the fact that he couldn't get past the fact that I was born a male," Lime said, "But, I've made my decision to live my life as best I can, and take what comes with equanimity."

"That's an excellent attitude to have, but it doesn't explain why you were so upset earlier," Tofu said, calmly.

Lime frowned slightly as if thinking back and replied, "It's just that my emotions are all over the place. When you and your wife were talking about me being one of you, so accepting of who I am, I just went all weepy. I don't know why."

"I think I do," Tofu said, "I'm pretty good at reading auras, that's one of the reasons I went into medicine in the first place. And what I believe I'm seeing tells me that you're pregnant. Am I right?"

Lime smiled happily and said, "I believe so. I wanted a reminder of my lord."

"I take it he doesn't know about this?" Tofu asked.

"No, and I don't plan on telling him, at least not for now. His duty to his people requires that he marry the woman his father has picked for him. I knew that he would have to wed for dynastic reasons, so I really couldn't ever have him. I should never have told him how I felt, but I couldn't stop myself," Lime said.

"This will be an interesting experience for all of us, but especially you," Tofu said, "And being a single mother is not an easy path to go down. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask any of us. Which reminds me, you need to see an obstetrician, so you can be checked out, and make sure everything is fine. If you'd like, I can set up an appointment with the one that Kasumi uses. She has a kind manner, a very gentle touch, at least according to Kasumi."

"That would be good," Lime said, "And a gentle touch sounds like it might be important."

"And maybe you should talk to a specialist about your condition," Tofu suggested.

Lime got a nervous look on her face and said, "I'd rather not, not a stranger. Could I talk to the two of you sometimes?"

Tofu frowned slightly and said, "I suppose we could, but neither of us are experts. But, if you'd rather be with someone you know, I meant what I said about asking for help."

Nodoka called from the kitchen door, "Is this a private party or can anyone join?"

"Please, Auntie Nodoka, come join us," Lime said, surprising the two adults with the honorific.

Nodoka walked gracefully over to the pair of them and sat down next to the young woman. "Shampoo tells me that you have decided to leave your people and stay here in Nerima, Lime," Nodoka said, "Is that true?"

"Well, yes, for several reasons. With my change in gender, I felt it best to start a new life, and at least here I know a few people, so it wouldn't be like I was all by myself," Lime replied.

"If you wouldn't mind keeping an old woman company," Nodoka began.

"Old woman, you're only a few years older than I am," Tofu said gallantly.

Nodoka preened slightly and said, "Don't let Kasumi hear you flirting with me, Tofu. Anyway, what I was going to suggest is that you come stay with us. Genko and I could use the company, and there's plenty of room. I would definitely like a bit more adult conversation. Genko is a dear, at least most of the time, but aside from her classes at school, and martial arts, she leaves a lot to be desired as a conversationalist."

"But Shampoo and Taro just moved into the café to keep me company," Lime said, half in protest.

"That's true, but I suspect that they won't mind. They're still basically newlyweds themselves, and wouldn't mind a little privacy, I expect," Nodoka said, "You don't have to make a decision immediately, think about it for a while."

"If it wouldn't be too much of a bother," Lime began.

Nodoka smiled and said, "Nonsense. Just think of me as a surrogate mother, and Genko as a baby sister. You'll fit right in."

"Then there's something else you need to know," Lime said slowly, "And I hope it doesn't change your mind. I think I'm pregnant, with Master Herb's child."

"Did he force you?" Nodoka asked, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Lime lowered her eyes to the ground and replied, "Oh no, it was much the other way around."

"Oh!" Nodoka exclaimed. She looked pensive for a moment and asked, "Does he know that you are pregnant?"

"No, when we made love, I lied to him about being protected. I can't tell him, not now at least. Master Herb went back to wed a rival clan-chief's daughter, a marriage that will bring peace to our, no his, people. Finding out that he has a child would make things difficult for him, and I won't do that to his people," Lime said, proudly.

Nodoka frowned imperceptibly, and "If you knew it would cause problems for him, then why did you try for a baby?"

"I wanted something of his," Lime said, "And I wanted him to be my first, and maybe only, lover."

"A piece of clothing would have been easier on all of us," Tofu said, "But I think we can understand why you did what you did."

Nodoka traded looks with Tofu and said, "Well, you being pregnant does change things a bit. Now I insist that you move in with me. There's no way I can sit back and let you live with those two during your pregnancy. My home is much more comfortable, and I can make sure you eat the right kinds of foods, and get plenty of rest."

"Well, I see I'm not needed any more," Tofu said with a grin, "I think you just got adopted, Lime. And knowing Nodoka the way I do, you'd better just agree. It's easier in the long run."

"Then I accept, Auntie," Lime said.

"Nonsense, none of that Auntie business. Call me Mom," Nodoka said, with a gentle smile.

Lime felt strangely warm, and embraced Nodoka. "I'll try," Lime said, "I never had a Mom before."

For some reason, that simple declaration brought tears to all three of their eyes.

* * *

Author's Notes: Once again, I thank my Gentle Readers for the patience they have for my long delays between updates on this story. Unfortunately, my muse is much more interested in Second Time Around, and the ideas seem to pour more easily for that story. As always, I enjoy and encourage comments and especially constructive criticism. The new review response system only allows replies to signed reviews, and I will endeavor to reply to those of you who do, particularly to those with a question. Until later, Gentle Readers. 


	61. An Interlude in China

Chapter 61 An Interlude in China

Somewhere in a remote region in China, in a non-plotted area, on an unremarkable mountain amidst many other scattered peaks, Prince Herb stood outside the Presence Chamber of his father's palace, waiting with trepidation for his first audience since his return from Japan. Mint stood faithfully behind him, his face stoic as he also waited, knowing that he had partially failed the charge from his lord and master.

The large iron doors creaked open, and the chamberlain walked out, the peacock feathers in his cloak of office dancing slightly in the breeze coming in from the narrow slits in the wall that passed for windows. "Our Lord has requested your presence, Prince Herb," the man said, with at best a perfunctory bow to the only heir of the kingdom; a bow that on other days would have caused Herb to rage at the insult, but now, he realized was a sign of his father's displeasure with him.

"Then let us not keep him waiting," Herb snapped, striding toward the revealed chamber, almost before the normally subservient man could react. He entered the room, ignoring the luxuries that adorned the floor and walls, and instead gazing steadily at the presence sitting on the iron throne at the far end of the room, only a lion's pelt softening the starkness of the seat. He sketched a bare bow toward his father, and felt Mint do the same, instead of the formal prostration normally required, sending a message to his father. Even at the distance he was standing, he saw the slightly raised eyebrow at his lack of deference, and the beginning of a smile on the elder man's face.

"Come, my son, welcome back from your journey," his father's deep, dark voice said, in greeting.

"My Lord," Herb replied, "Thank you. It is good to be back among a civilized people."

"We trust your journey was a successful one," his father said.

"Only partially, I am afraid," Herb admitted, "Though it ended as well as it could considering what I was searching for. But, perhaps, this is best talked about with my father, and not my lord."

"Ah, now you intrigue us, my young prince," his father said, "We find that we are even more interested as to why you disappeared for so many weeks, arriving barely in time for the betrothal ceremony with your eager bride. We must admit to some concern that you were uninterested in the event."

"No, my lord, I will always do my duty towards my people, I have been taught well," Herb said, "My absence from this court was in part an attempt to perform that duty."

"Very well, we will wait your story with anticipation. We will dine alone, and then you should meet your betrothed," the king replied, "Now, tell us what happened to your other bodyguard, Lime. We have noticed his absence from your side, and only your faithful Mint returned from your journey."

"The warrior known as Lime is no more," Herb replied, flatly.

"Did he at least die honorably?" the king asked.

"He did his duty to the best of his ability," Herb replied, "That is all any one can ask."

"Come, we shall retire and take our repast, my young prince. Bring your faithful Mint, and he can stand guard as we eat. Then perhaps you can tell us your tale," the king decided. Standing quickly, he strode toward a small door discretely tucked behind an ornate screen, carved from the finest ivory, and decorated with gold filigree, and mother-of-pearl.

Herb followed his father, and his retinue, while Mint closed up behind. They soon came to a small room, with a low table groaning with food, and two one-sided divans. He looked pointedly at the crowd of parasites passing as court officials, and said, "I trust we can eat in privacy, my lord. I would prefer my story to be heard only by yourself. Mint is familiar with the details, so he can stand guard outside if that is required."

His father waved his hands at the officials, and simply grunted, "Leave us. We will eat with my son in private. Mint attend us." He sank down gracefully on one of the divans, leaning back against the cushioned side, while he pointed to the other. Herb joined him, sitting with his back straight. The two of them filled gold plates with food, and his father poured crystal goblets full of a red wine.

Mint watched for a moment, and then pulled the door closed and stood with his back to it as the two men ate.

"So what is it that you needed to talk to me about?" the king asked.

"I have a problem that will affect you, father," Herb began, "And possibly the betrothal. I need to talk to the girl as soon as possible, as she has the right to know before things get too far." He hesitated, unsure of how to proceed with his story, knowing that it would very likely change his life, not necessarily for the better.

Mint watched the struggle on his lord's face and decided to intervene. "Master Herb, you need to tell the king the whole truth. He deserves to know and it is your duty to tell him."

"I know," Herb said. He passed his hand over his face, and took a deep swallow of his wine. "Very well," he said, "Father, I became aware of my upcoming betrothal some time ago, and realized something. While I have the finest education that our people can give me, at least as far as being a warrior is concerned, I had been taught nothing about those odd creatures called females."

"True, because of the traditions of our people, we are singularly poorly equipped to handle them," his father said.

"Well, anyway, I had become aware of the rumor of the valley of Jusenkyo, and its accursed springs," Herb continued, "And decided to avail myself of that spring. I made my way there in secret, and after capturing a monkey, tossed the monkey into Nyannichuan, the spring of drowned girl, which transformed the monkey into a woman. Unfortunately, I allowed myself to be distracted by her body, and was pushed into the spring myself, also obtaining the curse." He picked up a goblet of water and poured it over his head, triggering the change. "Cold water triggers the curse as you can see," she said sadly, "And hot water will restore your son."

His father stared at the transformed Herb in horror, and then slammed his fist down on the table next to him. "Damn it, boy, do you know what you have done!" he roared.

Herb stared impassively at him and replied, calmly, "Of course I do. Instead of just having a only son, you now have an occasional daughter. And yes, I full well know what that can mean to our people, especially with the division between the sexes that we currently have. It's all that I thought of for the last several months since it happened. And if I hadn't gotten my curse unlocked, so that I can at least be male some of the time, I would not have returned, but would have sent Mint back with news of my death. But I did get it unlocked and I know my duty to our people. You must have an heir of your body, and I must have a son, to carry on our dynasty or the politics will tear our people apart."

His father sighed heavily and leaned back against his chair. Taking a large drink of his wine, he nodded and said, "You have thought things through, I see. Is there a cure to the curse?"

"None that I am aware of. According to my sources, somewhere in the valley is a spring of drowned boy, but no one knows where it is anymore. Ironically, one of the battles that we fought there with the Joketsuzoku hundreds of years ago destroyed a portion of the map that the caretaker had created, as well as misplaced all of the signs that he had oh so carefully placed," Herb replied.

"And my lord, apparently the section that that spring is in is full of horrific springs that will call forth demons and monsters if the wrong spring is entered, so no one has tried to map them since," Mint said entering the conversation for the first time.

"Mint, leave us," the king commanded.

Mint looked uncertainly at Herb, who smiled thinly and said, "Your loyalty does you credit, my oldest friend, but you still must obey the king." Mint opened the door and quickly slid through it, closing it firmly behind him.

"What am I going to do with you?" his father asked.

Herb shrugged her shoulders and replied, evenly, "If you are truly asking my opinion, I have the following suggestions. One, we need to let my betrothed know about my condition, once we have obtained the appropriate safeguards, of course. Also, I can somewhat control my curse if I spend a certain portion of the day as female. That seems to satisfy the water magnet portion of the curse. However, that also means that I need to obtain a twin sister to explain why there is suddenly a female showing up in my quarters."

"A twin sister?" his father asked.

"I'd rather explain that, then the rumors of a concubine so soon before or after my marriage. The woman I wed doesn't deserve the shame that would bring on her," Herb replied, firmly. She picked up the teapot and poured the warm water over her head, restoring her original body.

His father ran his fingers through his full beard, smoothing out the snarls, and thoughtfully considered Herb's suggestion. After a pause long enough to cause Herb some consternation, he finally said, "We really have no choice in the matter. All of your cousins are entirely too young to consider for taking my throne. Only the fact that you are of age is making the situation palatable. The other clans are restless as it is; if we wait too long things may fly apart. In spite of my reservations about what may happen in the future, if I disown you or expose your secret, our people will fall into chaos. Talk to your bride and see how she feels about the situation, but you must impress upon her the importance of this union."

"Thank you, Father," Herb said simply, "I will do my best not to disappoint you any more than I already have. I know that is causing you a great deal of difficulty."

"I'm not disappointed in you, Herb, however, I must admit that I am not happy about the situation," his father said.

Herb chuckled and said, "I'm not exactly thrilled about it myself, Father, but I have come to a sort of acceptance about it."

"Leave now, my son," his father said, his eyes troubled.

Herb rose gracefully from his seat and bowed deeply. "Father, may your reign last forever," he said, as he backed out of the room.

* * *

Herb stood in the garden surrounding the private quarters of the family, idly aware that Mint was standing guard at the entrance preventing anyone from disturbing him. 'Father was a bit more understanding than I thought he was going to be,' he thought, as a lark began singing in one of the large trees, 'But I could tell he was terribly disappointed in the situation. Not that I'm overly thrilled about it myself.' A wry grin graced his face as he began to wander down the graveled path that snaked its way from one collection of flowers to the next, with the occasional bench placed strategically around. The lone lark was soon joined by a second, and then a third, and then to his surprise, he began to hear the sound of a flute as someone began to play a countermelody to the tune that the birds were singing. He looked up toward the sound of the flute and saw an attractive brown-haired woman, sitting on a balcony overlooking the garden, playing a silver flute, with her dark eyes intent on the stops as she played. 

Herb sat down, his eyes intent on the young woman, holding his breath as she played. He stayed there for what seemed forever, but probably was no more than fifteen or twenty minutes, until the idyllic scene was marred by the entrance to the balcony of a heavily scarred man, which Herb recognized as the clan chieftain Bae Sel, the father of the woman he was to wed.

#Come my daughter, we must talk,# Bae Sel began, startling the young woman from her reverie, his voice carrying in the stillness of the evening, startling the birds into raucous flight.

#Father, is it not enough that I must wed some man that I have never met? Do you have to interrupt me on my last night of freedom? I have agreed to do as you wish, please allow me one more night to be myself,# the woman asked, plaintively.

'So you are the poor woman doomed to be my wife,' Herb mused, 'At least you are attractive. But, we should get to know each other prior to our formal betrothal, so that perhaps you won't be afraid of me, as I am afraid of you.'

#I am sorry, Tai Mei,# the man said, sincerity in his voice, #but you know how important this merger is. Without this marriage, the two halves of our people will continue to move apart. The king, may he live forever, is too conservative for the times. He refuses to recognize that we no longer can live in complete isolation. The Chinese are beginning to press against our borders, and while we can remain in hiding..#

#Father, I am tired of hearing your arguments, you know that I agree with them,# Tai Mei said, wearily, #Especially since I feel that woman have more of a place in society than as a means of having babies. But, right now, I am contemplating my fate, marrying a man that I have never met, who probably is the son of his father, and will listen to me about as much as he listens to his hunting dog. Probably less, now that I think about it. My music is the only thing that will console me in the dark days I see ahead of me.#

Herb closed his eyes, listening to the pain in the young woman's voice, and silently vowed to remove that pain. A loud splash caught his attention, as one of the large koi launched itself from a nearby pond, and the resulting wave of water washed over his body. Herb smiled ruefully, as she pulled her wet hair away from her face, and stood up. Her movement caught the attention of the two on the balcony, as unawares, Herb walked to where Mint was waiting with a cloak.

Tai Mei and her father Bae Sel watched as the man covered the attractive woman with a cloak, and led her away into the depths of the apartments reserved for the royal family. #That was Mint, the bodyguard for the Prince,# Bae Sel said, in shock.

#I wonder why he was taking a woman into the Prince's rooms,# Tai Mei said.

#Don't be naïve, my daughter, you know exactly why she is going there,# Bae Sel said, disapproval in his voice.

Tai Mei looked downcast at the idea of her husband-to-be already being unfaithful.

* * *

Bae Sel escorted his daughter into the small audience chamber, where he found his king and prince waiting for them. 

"Ah, Basil, welcome our faithful friend," the king proclaimed grandly, "This is our son and heir, Herb."

"Thank you, my lord," Basil replied, a faint smile gracing his lips at the greeting, "I see you, Prince Herb. May I introduce my daughter, Thyme?"

Thyme smiled shyly as she saw the man she was to wed. 'At least he is well-formed, and handsome,' she thought, 'Perhaps this won't be too bad.'

"My lady," Herb said, "May I say that I am pleased to meet you at last." He stared meaningfully at his father who took the hint.

"Basil, our son has asked for a small indulgence. Would you find it amiss if he and your daughter went elsewhere and talked to each other?" the king asked.

"Why would he wish to do that?" Basil asked.

Herb replied, "It seemed to me that prior to us becoming betrothed, that it would be nice if we could find out a little bit about each other. I would like to know more about her, her likes, dislikes, interests, that sort of thing. And I thought that perhaps she would like the same. It might make things go a bit easier for us both."

Basil looked at his daughter and realized that she was eager to do as the prince had suggested. "That actually sounds like a good idea," he said, finally.

"I thank you for this indulgence," Herb replied. He turned to Mint, and said, "If you would escort Thyme to the Rose Chamber, and make sure that there is some refreshments available. I will join her shortly."

Mint bowed politely from the wall of the chamber where he had been standing unnoticed, and led Thyme from the room.

Herb smiled wryly and said, "If she is as scared of this situation as I am, perhaps this conversation will help us both get over our fears. While I am not quite as unfamiliar with women as I once was because of my recent trip, I must confess a great deal of uncertainty." He bowed to Basil and then bowed deeper to his father, and quietly withdrew from the room.

* * *

Herb slipped into the Rose Chamber, a room that overlooked the garden of flowers that gave it its name, and nodded his thanks to his faithful friend. Thyme was sitting ladylike in a ornate chair with spindly legs, that barely looked strong enough to hold a baby, much less the petite woman sitting upon it. A small tray, with a teapot and two cups, was sitting on a marble-topped table, and a second tray, with a collection of dainty confections, covered with sugar, sat next to it. 

"Keep watch at the door, Mint," he said, startling the young woman, who had not noticed his arrival.

Thyme stood up quickly and began to bow, only to stop in confusion as he took her hand, and kept her from bowing. "None of that," Herb said, smiling kindly, "I'd like to start off the way I want to end up."

"My lord?" Thyme asked, completely confused, as she stared at him.

"None of that, either, Thyme. Call me Herb, I will never be your lord in private. We'll save that nonsense for when we are in public," Herb said, quickly.

"Then, Herb, I must admit this is a surprise. You aren't exactly what I expected," Thyme said, a touch of pink in her cheeks.

"I'm not exactly what I expected, either," Herb replied, "Please, sit, and let us get to know each other a bit better. All I know about you, for example, is that you are very pretty, and play the flute marvelously."

"You know that I play the flute?" Thyme asked, blushing at being called pretty.

"Yes, I heard you playing in the garden last night," Herb admitted.

Thyme looked down at the floor and said, "Oh, yes, just before that girl joined you, I suppose."

Herb looked puzzled and then realized that he had been seen last night. "Oh, that. That is a long story for a bit later. The girl you saw last night is no competition for you. The tale for public consumption is that she is my twin sister. The true tale is a bit bizarre, and I would like us to become more comfortable with each other before I tell you her secret."

"She is not your lover?" Thyme asked.

Herb chuckled dryly and replied, "No, she definitely is not my lover." Mint chuckled from his unseen location, as Thyme wondered what the joke was. Herb sat down in a chair next to her and said, softly, "This is as frightening for me as it is for you, Thyme. I know a little bit more about women than I did a few months ago, and have come to a different opinion than I once held. And, I promise that I will do everything in my power to allow you to be happy. While I have known that I always would have to marry for dynastic reasons, I want this marriage to be more than just that."

Thyme had a look on her face that combined some odd combination of shock and happiness. Finally, she said, "That is something that I wish as well, Herb. You give me some hope that perhaps this marriage will not be an onerous burden as I was afraid that it would be."

"Did you really think that I was some sort of Neanderthal, that I would only want you to be the mother of my children and nothing else?" Herb asked, mildly amused.

"I was afraid from what I knew of your family and their beliefs that that would be my role in your life. I had resolved to accept that, but I am happy to find out that will not be necessary," Thyme said.

Herb poured a cup of tea and handed it to her. "To be honest, not terribly long ago, that would have been my expectations. As I told my father last night, we have been taught to be warriors, with no knowledge of your gender. But, then a few months ago, as I alluded earlier, I had my eyes opened. Believe me, I have a much different opinion of women than I once had, and soon I will explain how that happened. You, of all people, will deserve that story."

"I wait with anticipation that story," Thyme said, "But until then, perhaps I should tell you a bit more of myself."

"I would love to find out more about you, Lady Thyme," Herb said.

"As you perhaps are aware, my father and his clan are more liberal than that of your father's. For example, we don't separate the genders at birth, and are raised by both sets of parents," Thyme began, a bit hesitantly.

"Yes, I am. As I am also aware that your father is the leader of that portion of our people," Herb said, "Which I suppose is partially the reason why the two of us are here, in an attempt to bridge that gap."

"That is my belief also," Thyme admitted, "Father is concerned about how the tribe is beginning to split down those lines, between the more conservative and the more liberal portions."

"My father is very concerned about that also, which is why he is willing to compromise slightly with your father over some things. I find myself leaning more toward the less conservative approach, but we will have to go slowly to avoid causing friction with the dinosaurs of our tribe," Herb said.

"We?" Thyme asked.

"Yes, we. I am looking for a partner to stand with me," Herb replied, "You won't be able to rule with me in public, at least not for years, but I want that to be our goal. If not for us, then for our children."

"That is much bolder than I expected," Thyme said, her eyes shining with happiness.

* * *

Thyme wandered through the garden that evening, after a pleasant meal with her betrothed, the king and her father. The conversation had been pleasant and to her surprise, the king had been interested in her opinion on several of the topics that had been brought up, including some that had to deal with the external politics of the kingdom. Herb had grinned at her and winked, showing that he was enjoying things as well, and was happy that she was making a good impression on the king, something that boded well for the future. Finding a quiet spot overlooking the koi pond, she ignored her attendant and sat down, and began to play a simple melody on her flute. After a few minutes, she became aware that she had an audience. The same girl that she had seen leaving the garden last night was standing at the entrance to the small grove, listening intently. "Miss, please would you join me?" Thyme asked politely. 

The young girl started and looked about to flee, but then nodded resignedly and came and sat next to her on the ornately carved bench.

"Hello, I'm Thyme," Thyme said.

"I know," the girl said, quietly, "You may call me Spice. Please keep playing, you do it so well, and I enjoy it."

"Very well, but I would like to get to know you better. Somehow, I think that you and I will have something in common in the future," Thyme said.

Spice grinned and replied, "Yes, I suppose we will. At least that is my hope. There's not really much to tell, I have lived a secluded life all my life until now. The rest of my story I can not tell you. Only Herb can. I know that he wants to as soon as he feels that he can trust you. Please trust him and me until then."

Thyme looked intently at the young girl and saw the entreaty in her eyes. "I have the feeling that we have met before, Spice, and I look forward to hearing your story one day," Thyme said, as she began to play her flute.

* * *

A week passed, as Herb and Thyme grew closer, finding out more about each other, through the occasional walk in the garden, although obeying all rules of propriety, they were not able to be unaccompanied. Thyme would play her flute in the evening, enjoying the coolness as the sun slipped behind the mountain peak, and the birds would sing with her. The only precaution that Herb made was to ensure that they stayed away from the koi pond as they walked, and the only drinks were hot tea. 

Finally, Thyme brought up the question that Herb had avoided answering during the week. "I have met your sister Spice several times this past week, and I like her. But, I have to admit to being curious about her story, and how the two of you are involved," she said, "But who is she really? She does look somewhat like you, with many of the same facial features, only softened."

Herb paused for a while, deep in thought and asked, "What do you think of me?"

Thyme pondered the question for a moment and then replied, "I'm not completely sure, Herb. This has been an interesting week, much different than I expected when we arrived at the palace. I full well expected to be wedded, and bedded, to a man I knew nothing about by now. Instead, I have met a man, very intelligent, who seems to care about what I think and feel. A man that I have come to care for, a man that one day I perhaps could lose my heart to." She paused, her heart beating hard and asked, "What do you think of me?"

Herb breathed out and said, "You are someone that I hope can be my partner, not just my wife. I know that is a surprise for you, coming from a person raised like me, but I do believe that with all my heart. The question I have to answer is can I trust you, and I think that the answer is yes. There is something I need to tell you before we wed, something that may change things between us."

Thyme reached out her hand and clasped his with hers, interlacing their fingers. She squeezed gently and said, "You can trust me, Herb. There should be no secrets between us when we marry."

"I believe that too," Herb said, sighing heavily, "And it touches on Spice also."

"Should she be with us when you tell me her story?" Thyme asked.

Herb closed his eyes and replied, "Oh, she will be, believe me." He squeezed the bridge of his nose, and then rubbed his eyes, delaying the inevitable. Finally, he said, in a flat voice, "While your clan is willing to mix the genders, so that you were raised with both boys and girls, the vast majority of our people are raised apart. I was taken from my mother at a young age, and brought up in the traditions of our people as a man among men. I never saw another girl until I was told about our betrothal. Meeting a woman for the first time was something I didn't feel I was ready for, at least not if the first woman I met was you. I didn't believe that would be fair to either of us, so I wanted to come up with someway of becoming more at ease with you."

"I think I know where this is going," Thyme said, her tone a bit cold, "And I don't think I like it. I don't share easily."

"Oh, it's not what you think, believe me," Herb said, "It would be easier in some respect if it were." He hesitated and then continued, "I don't know how familiar you are with some of our people's history. If you are, you may remember that at one time, we used to visit the springs of Jusenkyo and dump animals into the spring of drowned girl to gain their characteristics. In fact, I am a descendant of a dragon, though I'm curious how my forefathers managed to get her into a spring. Anyway, I went to those springs with the goal of becoming familiar with the female body so I wouldn't freeze up when I first saw you."

"So Spice is some creature you dumped into the spring of drowned girl? No, she can't be, I talked to her," Thyme asked, only to stop when Herb shook his head.

"No, again I wish it were that simple," Herb replied, "No, I did capture a monkey and tossed it into the spring, and out came a nude female. To my chagrin, I fixated on the girl's breasts, something I had never seen before, and well, to make a long story short, the girl pushed me into the spring." He reached for a cup of cold water that Mint had placed there, and in front of her horrorstruck eyes, he poured it over his head, and he transformed into the young girl she knew as Spice.

Thyme collapsed to the floor, sliding off the bench she had been sharing with Herb. "NO!" she cried, as Spice, no Herb joined her on the pavement and held her in her strong arms.

"I'm so sorry," Herb said, rubbing the other girl's back.

Thyme began to sob, and then whispered, "It's not your fault, Herb, it's not your fault."

Herb waited her out, and then, asked, "Are you okay?"

"I will be," Thyme replied, regaining her composure. She took a deep breath and said, "This changes nothing, Herb. The reasoning behind our marriage hasn't changed. If you will have me as your wife, I will have you as my husband."

Herb sighed deeply and said, "I would be honored to be your husband, Thyme, and for you to be the mother of my children, heirs to the kingdom."

"So mote it be," Thyme replied formally. She grinned and said, "I think we are supposed to seal that with a kiss, so since I want my first kiss to be with my husband, not my, er wife, could you change back."

Herb giggled and said, "Of course, I should have thought about that." She paused for a moment, closing her eyes in thanks, and then said, "Thank you for taking this so well, Thyme. I was worried that this would scare you away, and I would miss you."

Thyme replied, "I admit this is not something that I expected, but I suppose this curse explains why you have changed your beliefs about certain things."

"Only partially," Herb said, "Actually, what changed my opinions about things is the several weeks I spent locked as a girl, thinking what it would be like if I stayed this way. And then, the traveling I had to do to find a way to unlock the curse so I could change back meant that I met a young man with the same curse I had, but who had come to terms with it, and showed me that I was still a man, even when I was a woman. And the way he treated his wife as a partner, companion, and friend, it impressed me and made me question almost everything that I had been taught." 'And then there was Lime,' she thought, not that she could tell anyone about that, 'the way she became a woman happily, as if it fixed some problem that I never knew existed.'

"I wish I could meet this young man," Thyme said, a bit wistfully, "To thank him for helping you change your ways. As to your cursed form, it'll take me some getting used to this, but I think I can. I like Spice, and I care about you, so this will work. Even if that sentence sounded as confusing to you as it did to me."

"I'm just sorry that I had to deceive you for the few days that I did," Herb said, as she poured a cup of hot water over her hair.

"I can understand why, though, so I'm not too upset. I'm just happy that you trust me enough to tell me now, though I think it will have to be our secret. I'm not sure that any one else should know," Thyme said.

"I agree. At least, we need to keep it between the few that know until we have secured the throne," Herb replied, "Now, let's see about that first kiss." He smiled disarmingly as she flung her arms around him.

* * *

Lime carefully walked down the street with Ukyo, as they made their way to the market. Ukyo was pushing a small pram, with her baby neatly wrapped in a blanket, while Lime's belly was showing quite a bit. Suddenly she squeaked, causing Ukyo to glance over at the other woman. "He kicked," Lime explained, which was all that Ukyo needed to hear. 

"That's a neat feeling, isn't it, Lime?" Ukyo asked.

"Yes it is, especially for me," Lime replied, with a wry grin.

"True, it was a new experience for me, but it's got to be really an unexpected feeling for you," Ukyo said.

Of course, their journey to the market was not complete without the obligatory interruption by several of the old ladies that were also journeying to the market for the latest produce, who had to ooh and aah over the baby in the carriage, and to find out how Lime was feeling.

As they finally neared the market, they passed a small alley. Lime glanced over and saw a young woman, huddled in a blanket, leaning against the wall. "Are you okay, miss?" Lime asked, kindly.

The girl looked up, a hint of desperation in her eyes and said, softly, "Do not worry about me, I am fine." Suddenly, however, her stomach rumbled.

"When was the last time you ate?" Ukyo asked.

"Oh, I had something two or three days ago," the girl replied.

Ukyo and Lime traded looks, and Lime said, "Miss, you could be a big help to us. We have a lot of groceries to buy for our restaurants, and well, as you can see, neither one of us should carry a lot. If you'll help us, we'll feed you."

The girl's eyes lit up and she rose from her makeshift bed. She unwrapped herself from the blanket, to show that she was dressed in a somewhat grimy, smoke-stained kimono. "I accept," the girl replied, "My name is Konatsu."

"Well, Konatsu, my name is Ukyo Hibiki, my daughter Yuki, and this is my friend Lime," Ukyo said, "A pleasure to meet you." The three women headed off to brave the untamed wilds of the Nerima marketplace.

* * *

The three women staggered into Ucchan's, with Konatsu carrying the bulk of the bags of groceries that they had picked out. Placing them on the counter in the kitchen, Ukyo said, "There's a small bath upstairs, if you'd like to wash up. I have a robe hanging on a hook in there that you can borrow unless you have something else to wear." 

"No one has ever been so kind as the two of you," Konatsu said, happily. She smiled and said, "I do have something else, but if I could wash my kimono, it would be nice. It is the only thing that I have left of my mother's."

"Certainly, Konatsu. Bring it down once you've changed. There's a small wash sink in the back room with a place to hang it out to dry," Ukyo said.

Konatsu smiled and climbed the stairs that Ukyo had pointed out.

"She seems like a very nice girl," Lime said, "I wonder why she was sleeping in the alleyway this morning."

"I agree, she is very nice; pretty too, I bet, when she gets cleaned up," Ukyo agreed as she mixed up a batch of fresh batter for her okonomiyaki. She turned to Lime, and said, "There should be some soup left in the refrigerator from last night. Why don't you find it and warm it up on the stove, while I whip up something for the three of us?"

"That sounds like a good idea. Hmm, I wonder what chocolate sauce on a shrimp okonomiyaki tastes like? For some reason, I have the oddest craving for that," Lime said.

"There may be some chocolate syrup in there," Ukyo replied, with a laugh, "Ryoga had a chocolate sundae just before he managed to get lost last week."

"I wondered where he was," Lime said, "I thought he was getting better?" She walked into the rear kitchen, and rummaged through the refrigerator and found a large pot of noodle soup, and the aforementioned chocolate syrup. She also put the kettle on to boil for hot tea for Ukyo and Konatsu.

"Yes, he is getting better, at least when he carries his cellular phone, at least then he can call to tell me where he is, or get someone to bring him home," Ukyo said, with a sigh, "Except I found his phone upstairs still on the charger so he wandered off without it. He still never goes anywhere without his backpack though, so at least he'll be okay."

"That is still got to be hard, never knowing when you're going to be by yourself, especially now with a baby. How old is she, anyway?" Lime asked.

"It is tough, sometimes, but he makes up for it when returns, and with the money I make with the restaurant and what he makes during his travels, we do okay. I could use more help though, when it's just me," Ukyo replied, as she poured three dollops of batter on the sizzling grill, "And Yuki is almost nine months old now. How about you? You have a tough life ahead of you, unwed, with a baby. I know Nodoka has taken you under her wing, and all, but what are you going to do?"

Lime smiled at her friend and replied, "I'll manage. I won't be able to help at the Nekohaten much longer though, my feet and back start killing me by the end of the day. Dr Tofu suggested I start helping with the twins, once school starts for Kasumi, and that sounds attractive, but that won't be until January, after my baby is born, so that will work out well."

Konatsu walked in carrying her kimono, and wearing an odd ninja-like outfit. "Where did you say I could wash this?" she asked.

"Uh, there's a large sink in the room off of the kitchen that I use for hand-wash items," Ukyo replied, "Um, could I ask what you are wearing?"

"Oh, this, I was raised as a kunoichi, and this is the only other piece of clothing I was able to recover from the fire," Konatsu replied as she walked past them into the back kitchen.

"I wish I looked as good in leather as she does," Lime said a bit wistfully.

Ukyo grinned and said, "Lime you're turning into more of a girl than I am."

"Honey, I've always been a girl, I just didn't have the right body," Lime shot back. She frowned and asked, "Fire, what was that about?"

"You know as much as I do about her," Ukyo replied with a shrug, "But, her clothing was smoke-stained, so a fire sounds reasonable. Maybe that's why she is homeless."

"That's a thought, maybe you could hire her to work for you, in the afternoons," Lime suggested.

"That's not a bad idea. Nodoka is still coming over in the morning to take care of Yuki, but I could use the help after that," Ukyo replied. She flipped over the okonomiyakis and then covered them with the grilled shrimp, and sauce. "These are about done," she said.

Lime began to waddle back into the kitchen, when Konatsu came back out carrying a tray with three bowls of soup, the teapot and two cups, and a large glass of juice. "Kami bless you," Lime said, as she sank back down on a stool by the grill.

"Konatsu," Ukyo began, "We were thinking." She handed out three plates of okonomiyaki, and tried not to wince as Lime did indeed squeeze out a generous portion of chocolate sauce on her shrimp.

"That is so gross," Konatsu said, looking at the mixture on Lime's plate.

"Don't knock it until you're pregnant and want some odd cravings," Lime shot back, with a grin.

"Anyway," Ukyo said, desperately, "I was hoping that you were interested in a job. I could use the help. I can't pay a lot, only about a hundred yen per hour, but I can give you room and board. And we need to get you some more clothing. I think I can spring for that too."

"You would do that for me, a stranger?" Konatsu asked, surprised, but not so surprised that her food didn't disappear faster than Genma at his worst.

"Sure, I like what I see of you," Ukyo replied, "And I could really use the help. Especially since my husband is lost again, and Yuki takes up a big part of my free time, as she should, of course." Her daughter cooed on cue, and then tried to put her foot in her mouth, giggling all the while.

"I'd like that," Konatsu said, "This has been the best day of my life!"

* * *

Author's Note: FINALLY an update to this story. AAARGH, blasted muse deserting me like that. Seriously, I'm terribly sorry for the length of time it took to get this chapter out. It was very frustrating for me. I hope that my Gentle Readers will enjoy this, and I promise that I will update sooner next time. The juices are back to flowing and it should be much quicker this time. As always, comments and constructive criticisms are welcomed and encouraged. Until next time 


	62. The Secret of the Forest

Chapter 62 The Secret of the Forest

Author's note: I have changed the way I handle flashbacks in this story. They are now written in italics.

Ranma grinned as he heard a familiar voice cry, "Where am I now, anyway?" He looked up to see Ryoga wandering toward him and called, "Hey, Ryoga, how've you been?"

Ryoga stopped and asked, "Ranma, why are you in Osaka?"

"Osaka? No, this is Nerima, baka," Ranma said, with a grin, "Glad you're back. Ukyo has been going crazy. So what happened to you?"

"I don't know. I was minding my own business, heading to the market to get some things for the restaurant, and then next thing I knew I was in a small town just outside Asahikawa, where I ran into my parents. They were celebrating their anniversary, a bit late mind you. What was the name of that town? It had this funny tower, leaning sort of sideways, and a real funny name. Oh well, it doesn't matter. Anyway, I left them and headed here to Osaka, only I guess I ended up here instead," Ryoga replied, a bit sheepishly.

Ranma scratched his head as his wife giggled. "Come on, Ranma, let's get him back to Ukyo before he ends up in a small town outside of Kyoto, with a big bridge over a bay," Akane said, straight-faced.

Ranma grinned back at her and said, "Well, that's a good idea, but I'm not going to hold his hand. Two guys, do you know what that would do…" He was interrupted by a splash, as a rickshaw came roaring by, soaking both Ranma and Ryoga, transforming them into a pair of busty girls. Ranma sighed in resignation, "Never mind." Ranma and Akane grabbed Ryoga by the hand, and the three girls headed off toward the café.

"She isn't mad at me, is she? I have been gone for several days," Ryoga asked, a bit anxiously, "And even with Lime's help, it can't be easy for her to handle school, Yuki, and the café all at the same time. I promised I would be there for her, and I wasn't."

"Angry, no I wouldn't think she was angry," Akane said, reassuringly, "And she said she had hired some girl to help her."

"And Mom stops in from time to time to help out, too," Ranma said, "She does have a granddaughter to spoil, after all. And Genko, oddly enough, doesn't mind babysitting."

"You're letting your father baby-sit my daughter?" Ryoga asked, screeching to a halt.

"No, I'm letting my little sister baby-sit," Ranma replied, "And I wasn't asked anyway. That was all Ucchan and Mom, not me."

"Yeah, you should have seen his reaction the first time he found out about it," Akane said, giggling.

"I can imagine," Ryoga said.

"They had to talk real fast to convince me that it wasn't a bad idea, that's for sure," Ranma said, a bit defensively, "Too many flashbacks to all of the dumb things the old man did to me growing up. But, I hate to admit it, she's actually pretty good with Yuki. She reads to her, plays with her some, and everything. It's really sort of cute."

"Yeah, she'll make a good mother some day," Akane said.

"Now that's just wrong," Ranma and Ryoga said in unison.

They arrived at the café and opened the door, with Akane and Ranma going in first.

Ukyo looked up from her grill when the bell tinkled over the door, and saw two familiar girls walk in. "Hey, Akane, Ranchan, welcome back. Where have you two been?" she asked.

"Had to take care of some business in Ryugenzawa," Akane replied, "But that's not important at the moment." The two girls stepped aside, and Ukyo saw the third girl that had been hiding behind them, gazing sheepishly at the ground.

"Ryoga!" Ukyo exclaimed, exploding from around the grill, and rushing to her wife. Before Ryoga could react, Ukyo hit her over the head with her spatula, and then dropped the spatula and kissed her, several times.

When Ryoga finally had a chance to speak, she asked, "Why did you hit me?"

"For disappearing like you did," Ukyo replied, "I was so worried about you. And you've been gone for days."

"I thought you said she wasn't angry?" Ryoga asked, rubbing the top of her head.

"I guess I was wrong," Akane replied, "Well, Ranma, our job is done. And I don't know about you, but I really want to get back home, and these two have some catching up to do, I bet."

Ranma grinned and replied, "You just want to be able to take a real bath. That barrel just wasn't good enough."

"Not enough room to share, that's for sure," Akane retorted.

"We'll see you two later," Ranma began, only to see that Ukyo wasn't really paying attention as she was pulling Ryoga toward the stairs that led to their apartment. Chuckling, the two girls left the café.

Konatsu turned to Lime and asked, "Who was that?"

"That was Ukyo-sama's husband, Ryoga, Yuki's father," Lime replied.

"But that was a girl!" Konatsu exclaimed.

Lime giggled and then replied, "True. Remember when they told you about Ranma-sama and his curse. Well, Hibiki-san has the same curse."

"Oh, so he's also a guy who turns into a girl," Konatsu said, "That just seems, I don't know, odd, I guess."

"That may be true. The other thing that I am glad of is that they spent some money and soundproofed their room," Lime said, with a wink.

Konatsu giggled and said, "Now that you mention it, so am I." She sighed heavily then as she thought about her own unrequited feelings.

* * *

Akane raced through the gate, laughing, with Ranma close behind her, and continued up to the front door. She opened the door, walked in, and kicked off her shoes, calling, "We're home!"

Her father walked around the corner and cried, "Ranma, Akane, you're back! Where have you been? I was so worried about you!" He rushed over and hugged them both, causing Akane to roll her eyes.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed in fond exasperation, "We were only gone a few days."

"Right, and its not like we were off fighting some monster or anything," Ranma quipped, trading an amused look with his wife.

"But the note you left said something about Monster Control calling and asking for your help," Soun said, befuddled.

"It's called a joke, Daddy," Akane replied, rolling her eyes once more at his cluelessness.

"Tell me all about what you two did then," Soun demanded.

"Maybe at dinner," Ranma said, "It's not so interesting a story that we want to tell it more than once."

"What we want to do right now is take a bath," Akane added, "Hopefully we'll have time."

"I'll go turn on the furo, while you two take your things upstairs," Soun said, "And I'll let Kasumi know that you are home."

"Thanks, Daddy," Akane said, as she and her husband headed up the stairs, while Soun headed down the hallway, first to stop at the kitchen to find Kasumi, and then to head to the furoba.

* * *

A much happier, as well as a much satiated,Ukyo clattered down the stairs from her apartment, her face flushed, and her lips puffed up, with her now male husband following behind with a silly grin on his face. As they reached the bottom, and walked through the curtain hiding the entrance to the stairs from the café, Ryoga noticed a very attractive young woman wearing a kimono waiting on the customers.

"Who's that?" he asked quietly.

Ukyo replied, "That's Konatsu. I hired her to help out in the café, especially since Lime is getting close to her due date."

"Good, I was worried that you might have been overwhelmed with everything once I wandered off," Ryoga said.

They watched as Konatsu headed over to talk briefly to Lime who was manning the grill, obviously passing on the orders she had picked up. Ryoga started in surprise at something.

"Konatsu has been such a big help around here, and she and Lime have gotten pretty close," Ukyo said, "Though I am worried about her just a little. I've heard her crying a few times in the bathroom, but when I ask her what's wrong or if I can help she just smiles sadly and says there's nothing anyone can do to fix what's wrong."

"Watch how Konatsu gazes at Lime, and I think you'll figure it out," Ryoga suggested quietly.

Ukyo watched for a few moments, and then gasped as she saw the look of yearning in Konatsu's eyes. "Oh my, oh dear, oh my stars," she said.

"Since when did you start channeling Kasumi?" Ryoga teased.

"I never would have thought that could happen. She's in love with Lime, isn't she?" Ukyo said.

"Sort of looks that way to me," Ryoga replied. As Konatsu turned and walked away into the back kitchen, he noticed something else and began to chuckle.

"What's so funny? This is an unmitigated disaster, she's a girl, and so is Lime," Ukyo asked.

"I don't think it's as bad as you think it is. Besides, Ranma and I are both part-time girls ourselves, remember?" Ryoga said.

"That's sort of different. You're still male inside though," Ukyo said.

Ryoga grinned at her, and said, "Only mentally. Physically I'm just as much a woman when I change as you are. But that really isn't the issue here anyway. You've made an assumption about Konatsu. An understandable one, but a mistaken one as well."

"What assumption is that?" Ukyo asked.

"That Konatsu is female," Ryoga said, as Ukyo's jaw dropped. At that moment, their brief quiet time ended as a flood of new customers entered the café, causing Lime to shoot a panicked look of appeal in their direction.

"We'll talk more about it later," Ryoga promised as the two of them headed toward the new guests.

* * *

Kasumi finished bringing in the last of the food to the table, as she had prepared a veritable feast to welcome the young couple home from their last adventure. Ranma glanced around at the groaning table and grinned. Akane grinned back at him and said, "You have to save some of this for the rest of us."

Ranma pretended to look affronted and replied, "I'm not my father."

In unison, the entire family exclaimed, "Thank Kami for that," and then laughed.

"You know, it really feels good to be home," Ranma said.

"Sleeping in our own bed, soaking in a real furo, eating a good meal, surrounded by our loved ones, yeah, it doesn't get much better than this," Akane added in agreement.

Soun poured out small cups of saké and handed them out, though Kasumi passed, pointing to her child.

"We are celebrating tonight, the return of my daughter and her husband," Soun said.

"Soun, we were only gone a few days," Ranma grumbled, as he sipped his drink.

"Tell us about your journey," Hinako asked, "The note that Akane left was a bit cryptic. 'Going to Ryugenzawa to fight monsters,' indeed! You had us worried to death."

Akane sighed and said, "Well, in a way this is a story that started a long time ago. Remember that time we spent there, when I got lost in the forest?"

"Yes, your mother and I were beside ourselves with worry," Soun replied.

"I was attacked by a gigantic beast, and a young boy saved me. But in the process, he was badly injured. I helped him return to his grandfather's house, and then he sent me back to the village," Akane said, her eyes bright with the memories of that time. She sighed and said, "I had actually forgotten all about that, it was so long ago, but remember we saw that newscast about monsters roaming near Ryugenzawa, and that night I sort of remembered. Then I got that phone call from Monster Control, and I knew that I had to go and help."

"And I wasn't about to let her go somewhere without me," Ranma said, "She's good, but she was going to get my help."

"I wouldn't expect any less of you, son," Soun said simply.

Ranma blushed and said, "Well, anyway, we took the train to Ryugenzawa, and started making our way into the forest." As he continued to talk, the audience could almost see what occurred as if they had been there.

As the train began to pull into the station, Ranma said, not for the first time, "I'm still not really sure why we are coming out here anyway and I definitely think we should have left a better note."

"Well, monster control is the responsibility of a martial artist," Akane replied, once more.

"Oh, I agree with that, but ever since you got that phone call, you've been just a little off," Ranma replied,

Akane got a pensive look on her face and finally said, "I wonder about that too. But there's something nagging at me about this place, some memory that I can't recall that feels somehow very important. And then there was that hornpipe that we spent a good two hours looking for before we found it in that box of memories. Why did I think that was so important?"

The two of them fell silent as they pondered those questions, only to stop as the train came to a halt. Gathering their things, the young couple exited the train. Ranma and Akane left the train station and headed into the small dusty village, where they found a crowd of people milling around a small building labeled 'RYUGENZAWA VOLUNTEER CENTER.'

_Ranma asked, "Someone called to ask us for some help. Can someone tell us what is going on?"_

"_Awfully young, aren't you, sonny boy?" an enebriated old man asked._

"_My husband is the grandmaster of our school!" Akane snapped angrily, her aura visibly glowing around her._

"_Gently, dear, don't scare the people, or we'll never find out what we need to know," Ranma chided, hiding a grin at her protectiveness._

_One of the men finally answered, stammering, "The monster's been showin' itself at the bottom o' the valley, on the edge o' the forest."_

_A second helpfully pointed down the dusty street, and said, "Right thar."_

_After a brief trek, the young couple neared the forest, eyes watching carefully in all directions, for signs of the monsters. Occasionally, one of them would point out gigantic footprints in the hard ground, or the odd steamy pile of dung, sure signs that something large was in the area._

_Suddenly, Akane gasped, "This place, I've been here before. This is where I got lost just before mommy got sick." She glanced at the hornpipe hanging on a leather thong around her neck, and said, "A charm, a charm to protect me from the monsters."_

"_What else do you remember, Acchan?" Ranma asked, his eyes still busy scanning the area._

"_There was this boy, a boy who saved me from a gigantic beast, and then gave me this charm," Akane replied, her eyes distant as the memories returned to her of that day so long ago, then she gasped, "I remember, the beast caught him with its claws and hurt him badly. Then he fell into a trap of his own devising. I carried him back to his home, to his grandfather, and then left him there to return to this village and my parents."_

_Ranma's eyes narrowed as he heard the sound of something tunneling in the ground. He raced over to Akane, and grabbed, leaping high into the sky, as a gigantic beast, with wicked claws on its forepaws burst through the ground where she had been standing. Landing lightly on the ground several meters away, he set Akane down and prepared to do battle, only to find the beast, which he now recognized as a enormous platypus, lying unconscious on the ground, a large knot on its head and a heavily bandaged young man, with short black hair, standing on top of the beast with what looked like a push broom in his hands._

_The young man said, "Go home!"_

"_Wh-who are you?" Akane stammered._

_The boy ignored her question and said, "From here onward the forest is filled with traps I've set. So hurry and go home!"_

"_We've been asked by the locals to fight these monsters," Ranma interjected._

_The young man jumped to the ground and said, "I won't say the same thing twice. Hurry and go…" Just then the ground below him separated as he sprung the trap, causing an odd Rube Goldbergian device to dump a load of heavy rocks onto him as he fell into a pit, knocking him out._

"_Well, this feels familiar," Akane said, "He may be the same boy that saved me before."_

"_Well, we can't just leave him here," Ranma said, with a sigh, as he began to move the rocks, "Do you think you can remember where his house is?"_

"_Yes, I think so." Akane said, "It was further into the forest. About an hours walk, I think, though I was younger then, so it probably seemed further than it really was."_

_Ranma pulled the unconscious boy out from the rubble and said, "Help me get him up onto my back."_

_Akane dropped her backpack from her back and helped sling the young man over Ranma's shoulder, and then put her pack back on. "Are you going to be okay carrying him and your pack?" she asked._

_Ranma grinned and said, "Sure, I'm a martial artist, aren't I? Seriously, if it isn't too far, I'll be fine."_

_The young couple headed off, with their new load, towards where Akane thought the house was, based on her memories, as she led them down a path toward the center of the forest. Fortunately for the young couple, they soon ran across a few signs, pointing in the direction they were traveling, all of which read, 'This way home.'_

_Ranma was starting to stagger as they broke into a clearing, which contained a small ramshackle hut, beside a well._

_Akane said, "This is it, the little boy's house." She raced to the door, and opened it, to find a traditional sleeping platform taking up one end of the room, with a door at the other end, and an old man apparently asleep at one side of the platform, covered with many blankets against the cold. _

_Ranma walked in and set the boy down next to a charcoal brazier, which was warming the inside of the hut. As he did so, the young man groaned and he awoke._

"_Who are you?" the young man asked._

_Ranma replied, "I am Ranma Saotome, grandmaster of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, and this is my wife, Akane, who is master of that school."_

_Akane looked at her husband in shock for a moment._

"_I'm grateful that you brought me back, but you must leave now," the young man said, "This is no place for a fragile girl like you."_

"_Aw, Akane is tougher than she looks," Ranma said, with a grin._

"_Please you must leave us, Grandfather and I," the boy said._

"_Why do you live all alone with your grandfather so deep in the forest?" Akane asked._

"_Grandfather doesn't have much time to live," the boy said, "But you must leave!"_

_The old man sat up, and said, "Shinnosuke, at least serve our guests some tea."_

_Shinnosuke, since that apparently was the young man's name, simply asked, "Grandfather?" a puzzled expression on his face._

"_The tea bin is on the shelf second from the top, the teacups are right next to it," the old man said, with a sigh._

"_Second from the top," Shinnosuke said, as he opened a large cupboard._

_The old man sank back to his bed and whispered, as if he were on his deathbed, "The sun will set soon. Stay here for the night. Then leave first thing tomorrow morning."_

"_But," Akane protested._

"_Miss, the monsters of this forest cannot be defeated by ordinary measures," the old man said._

"_We don't use ordinary measures," Ranma said._

"_I, from my youth, and Shinnosuke from his birth, have been battling these beasts. That is our destiny as guardians of the forest," the old mad wheezed._

"_Guardians, huh," Ranma said, "Sounds like you could use a little help."_

'_Here since birth,' Akane mused, 'Then I was right! Shinnosuke was the one who saved me. He told me to play that hornpipe as I went home, that it would protect me from the monsters if I did."_

_The old man wheezed, "Shinnosuke, go get something to eat for dinner."_

_Shinnosuke replied, "Yes, sir."_

_Akane pulled the charm out from around her neck and asked, "Um, Shinnosuke, do you remember this? When we were children, you gave this to me."_

_Shinnosuke looked puzzled for a moment, and then replied, "I've never seen it. You must be thinking of somebody else." He picked up a wicker basket and slung it over his shoulder and then grabbed his broom and headed out the door._

"_Well, I guess we can fix some of what we brought to go along with whatever he brings back," Ranma said, as he looked through his pack for the supplies that he had packed._

"_Isn't there a well outside?" Akane asked, "I'll go get water for the tea that Shinnosuke forgot to make."_

"_Get some in a pot for soup also," Ranma said, absently, "Don't have time to make miso soup from scratch, hmm." He rubbed his chin in thought as he set out the various ingredients and added, "I've got broth though, so I could cheat and use that as the base. And then there's the jar of pickles. Depending on what's his name brings back, I could do a stir-fry._

Akane nudged him and said, "I doubt they care about what we ate, baka."

Ranma grinned back at her and said, "Well, since Pop isn't here, you probably are correct. We can skip that. Where do you want to pick up the story?"

"Is there any point in talking about the incident in the bath?" Akane asked in return.

"Not really, I guess, other than the fact that it proved that Shinnosuke was the little boy that saved you all those years ago," Ranma replied.

"What bath incident?" Nabiki asked, her nose twitching with interest at the possibility of a juicy story.

Akane sighed and traded glances with Ranma, who shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well, other than being a little embarrassing," she said.

_Shinnosuke finished dinner and went outside. There, he started a fire below the bathing chamber, which really consisted of nothing more than a large oil drum sitting up on cinder blocks, with a fire pit below, and walls surrounding it on three sides, allowing some amount of privacy. He entered the hut, and said, "The bath is hot, get in."_

_Akane smiled and said, "Thank you. That would be nice." She took a towel from her pack and a change of clothing and went outside and around to the back._

_Ranma quickly followed, after he had gotten his towel and clothing. When he arrived, Akane had already taken her clothing off, hanging it carefully on a hook, and was rinsing off with the cold water from the well._

"_Hmm, this is a little better than I expected," Ranma said, as he shed his clothing, wrapping his towel around his body to wait his turn. He did spend a few minutes scrubbing his wife's back, but she merely giggled when he suggested he do her front._

_After rinsing off, she traded places, while Ranma washed up, and she returned the favor, shivering slightly as the cool evening breeze wafted around her naked body. Her wife stood up, her body shivering as well, and splashed some of the hot water from the drum onto herself, transforming her back. "Wouldn't really do for someone to see me," he said, to her unspoken enquiry, as Akane climbed into the drum to soak. Ranma wrapped his towel loosely around his waist and waited for his turn to enter the drum, since it wasn't a bathtub built for two. _

"_You know, it's sort of weird," Akane said, "I thought for sure that Shinnosuke was the boy that saved me, but he was so positive that he didn't recognize that hornpipe. His face, it was so honest when he denied it. I wonder if it could be another person."_

"_Um, actually Akane, I'm not sure I care right now," Ranma said, as he got a mischievous look on his face and he walked over to Akane and kissed her. "What has it been? At least four hours since we last did that," he asked, once they broke._

"_I really don't care," Akane said, as she returned the favor. Then her eyes widened in alarm, as she saw Shinnosuke turn the corner and enter the small chamber, with only a towel draped over his shoulder, barely covering him. She blushed furiously._

"_Oh, sorry, I forgot," Shinnosuke stammered. He whirled, showing them his naked back, covered with a horrific set of scars. "I'm so sorry! I forgot you were in here!" He ran back around the house._

_Akane exclaimed, "Oh! That scar on his back! It can't be a coincidence. That must be the same boy!"_

_Then they heard through the thin wall of the cabin the old man say, "Shinnosuke, why are you so forgetful? You even get caught in the traps that you set yourself!"_

"_Well, at least all he managed to see was us kissing," Ranma said._

"_Yes, but I got to see much more than I ever wanted to see about him," Akane said, her blush deepening. Then she giggled, and added, "But, I can tell that he certainly doesn't measure up to you."_

"_That falls in the category of too much information," Ranma said._

"That's it? You got to see him naked, and that's what was supposed to be so embarrassing!" Nabiki exclaimed, disappointed.

"Well it was embarrassing, at least to us, and he did catch us kissing," Akane said, a tinge of red appearing on her cheeks.

"I thought for sure he must have caught you doing something else in the bath," Nabiki grumbled.

"Nabiki Tendo!" her sisters exclaimed.

"Really, we wouldn't be doing any thing that we shouldn't do in public," Ranma said, a bit stiffly, "There wasn't that much privacy!"

"Anyway, let's just jump to the next day," Akane said, changing the subject, "Because that's when we found out about the secret of the forest."

"Well, actually it sort of started the night before," Ranma said, "When we had the best meal that I can remember eating. And then we heard some of the animals running around. When we went outside, we could hear them fleeing. I remember Shinnosuke putting it best when he said the forest was trembling in fear. And when we went inside, the old man was mumbling something about something awakening."

"The next morning though was odd," Akane added, "Remember, Ranma?"

"Sure do," Ranma replied, "It all started after breakfast was over, and Shinnosuke went to get water for tea."

"Yes, I had followed him out for some reason that I can't remember," Akane said.

_Akane followed Shinnosuke out of the house, breathing in the fresh scent of the forest, enjoying the light of the sun filtering through the towering trees._

_Shinnosuke stopped for a second, once again a bewildered look on his face. "I'm sorry, I forgot to ask you," he said, "What's your name?"_

_Akane looked at him with a matching expression. 'We introduced ourselves yesterday,' she thought. She replied, "It's Akane. Akane Saotome."_

"_Akane," Shinnosuke said, "I like that name." From somewhere he pulled a piece of chalk and began writing 'Akane' all over the walls of the hut. After about a hundred times, he stopped, and with a bright smile, he said, "There, I've memorized it."_

_The old man staggered out of the hut and asked, "Shinnosuke, is the tea ready yet?"_

"_Shoot! Water! That's what I came for," Shinnosuke said, slamming a fist into the palm of his other hand. He lowered the bucket into the well, and then drew it back up. To his surprise, it was empty. "Grandfather, the well's gone dry. Wait a second, and I'll fetch some from the stream." He grabbed the bucket off of the hook and took off down a narrow path between the towering trees._

_The old man clutched at his chest, his face aghast, as he crumpled to the ground._

"_Ranma!" Akane called, as she ran over to the old man. "S-sir, what's wrong?" she stammered, "Grandfather, what's wrong?"_

_Ranma raced outside in time to hear the old man stutter, "T-the w-well water's dried up."_

"_Let's get him back inside," Ranma said, as he stooped down and picked up the old man and carried him back to his pallet._

_The old man wheezed, "The scar on Shinnosuke's back, you saw it, right?"_

"_Yes, we both did," Ranma answered._

"_By-by all rights, Shinnosuke's life should have ended back then," the old man said, coughing the words out, "The only reason he's survived to this day is the water from that well."_

_Akane gasped, and she said, "And now that the well has gone dry, don't tell me?"_

"_Yes," the old man confirmed, "Shinnosuke will die."_

A gasp brought everyone back to the present as an ashen-faced Kasumi was staring at Ranma and Akane, tears rolling down her cheeks. "That's so horrible," she whispered as she buried her face in her husband's chest, "I've never even met him and yet it is so sad."

Akane looked around the room and saw that most everyone was feeling the same way. Even the normally stoic Nabiki was pale, while Hinako was busily blotting up the stream of water coming from her husband's eyes.

"Shall we go on?" Akane asked, gently.

"We have to know," Tofu replied, looking down at his wife tenderly, as he gently ran his fingers through her long hair.

"Where were we?" Akane asked.

"Finding out about the water of life," Ranma replied.

"_What do you mean, old man?" Ranma asked, "He will die?"_

"_The reason that Shinnosuke has been able to live to this day is the water of life," the old man replied._

"_The water of life?" Akane asked, "What is that?"_

_The old man began slowly, saying, "Once this place was just a humdrum little exotic animal park, filled with strange creatures from far away lands, and I was merely an ordinary zoo manager. Then one fateful day, a little platypus escaped. It was soon discovered, however, since it had grown into a giant, and went on a rampage! It destroyed the animal park, freeing all of the other wild animals. One after another, they all became gigantic and settled in this forest. The source of their gigantism is a spring that bubbles up deep in this forest. One of the side effects is that it causes rare animals to grow_ _enormously."_

_Ranma and Akane traded astonished looks, and she asked, "Um, why would anyone in their right mind put an exotic animal park in a forest with a stream like that? Are they mental or what?"_

"_Pish tosh, who cares about that?" the old man said, "We were making tons of money from all of the tourists."_

_Akane rolled her eyes in disgust, and said, "Well never mind then. You'd never understand. Just continue your story."_

"_Ever since that day, Shinnosuke and I have been the wardens of this forest, protecting the village from these animals," the old man gasped out as if he were on his death bed, "But then, that fateful day, so long ago, I arrived home to find my grandson gravely wounded. Even the doctors threw in the trowel."_

"_Er, don't you mean towel?" Ranma asked._

"_No, they literally threw in a trowel," the old man snapped, "Now do you want to here what happened or do you want to criticize the story?"_

_Ranma rolled his eyes and replied, "Just get on with it old man."_

"_Then stop interrupting me, you young whippersnapper, no respect for the elderly," the old man growled, then he muttered something under his breath. After calming down, he finally asked, "Where was I?" _

"_Throwing in a trowel," Akane replied._

"_I begged them not to give up, knowing that if they did, Shinnosuke would die, but they turned me away. In utter desperation I gave Shinnosuke the water of life and a miracle occurred. He woke from his long sleep, and soon became the picture of health. However, if he stops drinking the water of life, he soon suffers headaches, weakness and dizzy spells."_

_Akane stammered, "Th-then Shinnosuk…." She stopped, horrified._

"_Yes, that's right. He can't survive without the water of life," the old man finished for her. He grimaced and added, "He MUST not realize how close to death he is."_

_Ranma asked, "But isn't there anyway of saving him?"_

"_There is a way, but such perils," the old man said._

"_Please tell me, grandfather!" Akane exclaimed, "I'll do anything!"_

"_We'll do anything," Ranma interjected, placing his hand on her shoulder._

_Akane looked at him gratefully and finished, "Because, he once saved my life."_

"_Yes, we owe it to him to try to save his!" Ranma finished for her. He pulled Akane into a hug and said, "I owe it to him because he saved her for me."_

"_Ah, Ranma," Akane said, "That's so sweet. Sappy, but sweet."_

Nabiki pretended to gag, breaking the spell of the narration. "Saotome, that was awful," she said, "I can't believe you said something that corny."

Ranma retorted, a bit defensively, "Hey, cut me some slack, will ya? I do the best I can. Not my fault Pop stunted my emotional growth for years."

"I agree, sis. He may be a sap, but he's my sap," Akane added with a smirk.

"Gee, that was almost as bad," Tofu said with a grin.

"Hush, you, I think it's sweet," his wife said. She grinned and added, "Besides, you don't have much room to talk, Mister Dances with Skeletons."

"Hey, I haven't done that in a long time," Tofu protested.

"At this rate it will be tomorrow before we find out what happened," Hinako whined.

"Fine, we can fast forward a little. The next day, we went searching through the forest, looking for all of the springs. There were a lot of them, but every single one of them was dried up. It was almost like something was suddenly blocking the source of the water," Akane said.

"And in fact that is what happened," Ranma said, "The old man actually let that slip. He said that HE is blocking the source to all of the springs. And then that night, he actually dressed up as a woman to go fight this thing."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Akane groaned, "That was the most hideous thing I had ever seen in my life. I almost wanted to scrub my eyeballs."

"Yeah, and all that idiot did was bring the Yamata No Orochi from its lair and chase after us," Ranma growled, "All I can say it was a good thing I was walking around at night looking for him after he ran off."

_Ranma walked along the lake shore, wondering where that old fool had wandered off to, when suddenly a huge, seven-headed dragon burst from the cool waters, screaming in anger. "Wha?" he cried when a blob was spat out by one of the heads, soaring high into the sky, and then, in a near perfect parabolic arc, came tumbling downward. As the object neared, Ranma saw that it was the old man, still dressed in that awful dress, the wig on his head, and the extreme case of pancake makeup, and false eyelashes. Nimbly, Ranma jumped out of the way as the old man crashed down in front of him. He squatted down and asked, "Are you okay?"_

"_Well, actually, I was hoping that you would take me in your arms," the old man said, causing Ranma to shudder._

_The monster cocked one curious head in their direction and then angrily the beast shot all its heads at them._

_The old man sprang onto Ranma's back, and they raced off, back toward the campsite, where Akane and Shinnosuke were waiting for word. As they neared, Ranma cried, "Run or you'll be eaten!"_

_The other two sprang to their feet and fled after the fleet-footed young man, who seemed to not be burdened at all by the load he was carrying. "There! The crack in the boulder!" he cried, as a small crevice appeared in the cliffside. The four of them darted into the crevice, which opened up into a small grotto. _

_Shrieking in anger, the beast rammed into the cliff, causing a rockslide, closing off the entrance, and preventing the monster from even attempting to push one of its heads through the narrow opening. _

_Ranma dumped the old man onto the ground and then collapsed next to him. "Let's not do that again," he said, with a tired grin._

_The old man groaned, "Uhhhhn, I'm done fore!"_

_Akane exclaimed, "Grandfather!"_

"_That monster just now," Ranma asked, "What was it?"_

_The old man wheezed, "A beast among beasts, the Yamata No Orochi!"_

"_Yamata No Orochi! The eight headed beast of folklore?" Ranma exclaimed._

"_So the one blocking the source of the water of life was," Akane began._

"_Yes, that was he," the old man interrupted. He paused, fighting for breath, and then gasped out, "Before I die, there is something that I must pass along to you."_

"_D-don't **talk** like that, Grandfather!" Shinnosuke exclaimed._

_Suddenly, the old man sprang to his feet, and pulling a marker board with a schematic diagram of the lake bed, and the connections to the surrounding springs out of some interdimensional pocket, or at least that's where everyone hoped it had come from, since the other alternative was too hideous to consider. In a crisp professorial voice, the old man said, "The **water of life **and the **Yamata No Orochi **are deeply interconnected. The **source** of the water is in the nest of the beast."_

"_But," Akane asked, "Weren't you just dying?"_

"_Dramatic effect, and second wind," the old man replied, in an aside, as he continued, "On the body of the beast is a mysterious **moss**. The essence of the moss dissolves into the water and pushes upward with the spring. And **that's **where the water of life is from. To wit, if we can get our hands on some moss from the body of the Orochi then Shinnosuke's life will be saved."_

"_Life?" Shinnosuke asked, confused, "So I'm going to die, eh?" _

"_Shinnosuke," the old man began._

"_My life, how much of it is left?" the young man asked._

"_Don't know," his grandfather replied, "That's why I've been attempting to lure the Orochi out this way."_

_Shinnosuke looked askance at his grandfather and asked, "The monster likes ghouls?"_

"_Pah!" the old man exclaimed, "It likes beautiful girls!"_

"_Okay, and you thought this would work?" Ranma scoffed, "No wonder it was angry!"_

"_Ranma, we have to do something!" Akane exclaimed, "Whatever it takes!"_

_Ranma sighed and said, "I agree. We have no choice. He saved you, it's our turn to save him."_

"Well, that's enough for tonight," Ranma said, with a straight face, "It's getting late, and Akane and I need to get some sleep."

"Oh no you don't!" Nabiki exclaimed, "You're just now getting to the good part."

"Yes, you have to tell us if you saved Shinnosuke," Hinako said, "If you don't, I won't get a lick of sleep worrying about him."

"Wah! My son-in-law won't finish the story," Soun wailed.

"Ranma," Tofu warned, "You don't want to annoy your doctor, now do you?"

"But it's late," Ranma wailed, "I want to go cuddle with my wife."

Kasumi looked at him sternly and said, "Ranma-kun, I am very disappointed in you. If you don't finish the story, I'll never fix your favorite meal again."

"No tuna and shrimp pizza with white sauce!" Ranma exclaimed, "The horrors! Anything but that!" He shot Kasumi a grin, and began again, "Well, the next day we discussed a plan. Akane would dress up as a guy, and the three of us would dress up as girls and decoy the monster while Akane searched for the moss. I was a school girl, Shinnosuke dressed up as a meter maid, and the old man." Ranma and Akane both shuddered, as he continued, "dressed up as a blushing bride."

_The Yamata No Orochi stirred in its watery lair, its heads lashing angrily. It is in a bad mood, its animal instincts tell it that something bad is about to happen, something hostile, something up to no good is approaching, coming closer and closer. Its sense of impending doom grows stronger and stronger. Its foe draws near. The monster left its lair and headed for the surface, as three women stood on the shore, armed with bottles of wine, a meter maid, a bride, and an attractive school girl, in a too short skirt, with black hair._

_"Now be tricked into thinking that we are women and come out to eat us!" the grizzled bride cried._

_"Eat us? You didn't say anything about that!" the meter maid exclaimed._

_"Hush Shinnosuke," the bride said, as the monster drew nigh._

_"I don't think this is working old man," the student said, as the monster appeared to be enraged._

_The old man capered. "Ho ho, plenty of wine and women here! Your favorites!" he cried._

"_Come on men," the school girl, who wasthe male Ranma in a dress, said, "You two take care of four of the heads, I'll handle the rest!" He charged, followed closely by Shinnosuke and the gibbering old man._

_Akane stood watching from atop a cliff overlooking the lake, her breasts bound, hiding her feminity and dressed in some of Ranma's pants and shirt, with a cap on her head helping her disguise. 'Damn that thing is huge,' she thought, as she gripped the broom handle tightly to help control her nerves. She watched as the monster was distracted by the three figures on the shore and said, softly, "It's begun. Now's my chance to get the moss." She sprang forward, landing lightly on the back of the monster._

Soun wailed, "My baby's going to die. She jumped onto the back of that horrible beast." The tears began to flow for a moment, only to stop. Suddenly, Demon-head Soun appeared as he roared, "How dare you Ranma? Putting my daughter in so much jeopardy! I thought so much better of you than that, allowing my princess to go in harm's way."

WHAMMM! Akane's slammed the table onto her father's head, her battle aura flaring.

"Oh dear," Kasumi said, hiding a brief grin behind her hand.

"I AM NOT A LITTLE GIRL!" Akane shrieked, "I'M NO DEFENSELESS LITTLE GIRL! I AM A MARTIAL ARTIST JUST LIKE RANMA!"

"Um, dear, I don't think he can hear you right now, he's sort of unconscious," Hinako said, quietly.

"Let's not break the furniture, Akane. I'd rather not have to buy a new table," Nabiki added, her eyes dancing with mirth.

"I think he had it coming, myself," Ranma said, not even bothering to hide his grin, "Especially since she's sitting here in front of him, alive and well, not a scratch on her."

"Well, I've never thought he was the sharpest knife in the drawer," Nabiki said, "After all, he did train under Happosai, and your father is his friend."

"Don't insult my husband," Hinako said, snippily.

"I don't know, Hinako, she does have a point," Ranma said.

"Stop stalling, back to the story," Tofu said anxiously.

"Okay, we've got Akane on the monster's back, feverishly searching for the moss on any of the heads, which was a little tough to do for her since they kept waving them around," Ranma said, "We're trying to distract them and knock them out, which was sort of difficult also for much the same reason."

"Plus the monster was beginning to get really angry because it had finally realized that you were all males," Akane said, with a grin, "I was running all around, and not finding any of the moss, and then I realized something. There were only seven heads, no matter how many times I counted. And then that foolish old man gave the monster his bottle of wine, and things went from bad to worse."

"_Yeee, the wine only makes the heads more violent!" the old man cried as he dived out of the way of a jet of flame._

"_Gah, the worst kind of drunk!" Shinnosuke exclaimed, as he evaded a lunging, snapping, snarling head._

"_A way to break through this snarl of heads? Any way?" Ranma asked himself desperately as he fended off an attack. Then he spotted a small pavilion with a round table, covered with food and beverages. "Hey Gramps, what's that?" he asked, pointing to the table._

"_Oh, you mean the victory party to celebrate the defeat of the Orochi," the old man yelled back._

"_Wonderful, Grandfather, how thoughtful!" Shinnosuke exclaimed, dodging once again._

_Ranma snapped his fingers and said, "A victory party, that means, maybe?" He jumped over to the table and shouted, "YES!" as he saw a large case of beer bottles sitting on the ground. Grabbing the case of beer, he rapidly shook it, and leapt high into the air. Then tossing the case up and over, he waited for the falling bottles to near him and broke the caps of the bottles off, releasing the pressurized beer. "Take that! Beer-bash Eye-Blast!" he cried as the foamy brew doused all the heads at the same time._

"_Splashing with beer?" the old mad asked, astonished._

"_Th-that's it?" Shinnosuke stammered, "You wasted the beer on the dragon?"_

"That's a real good question, Ranma. Why did you pour beer on the dragons?" Tofu asked, "That seems to be an odd weapon to use."

"I was reminded of the dreaded victory party beer soak that we saw on TV last week. What athlete doesn't know the thrill of victory followed quickly by the agony of beer in their eyes?" Akane explained, "And that's what happened. The heads pulled back and because of that, the guys were able to stun all of the heads."

"Of course, Akane had already found out that there wasn't any moss on the heads that we could see, but then she said that there were only seven heads visible," Ranma added.

"Though it didn't take long for the eighth head to show up. An enormous head on what we thought was the tail, so we had actually been fighting the Orochi backwards," Akane continued.

"That got pretty scary, that's for sure, especially when Akane slipped off. Then the monster caught her scent and realized that the boy dancing around on its back had actually been a girl, so it grabbed her with its tongue," Ranma said.

"Well, it wasn't all bad. As it pulled me toward its mouth, I spotted the moss on the back of its head and scraped some off with the broom, and tossed it to the old man who was able to use it to save his grandson," Akane said, with a shrug.

"Yeah, but when it dove down to the bottom of the lake carrying you, that got interesting, real fast," Ranma said.

"I just used my version of the Möko Takabisha point blank in its mouth," Akane said with a shrug, "Though I was real happy to see you swimming to meet me, I definitely needed the help to get back up to the surface."

"The breath sharing we did on the way up wasn't too bad either," Ranma said, with a smirk.

"Oh, so that's why you were breathing slowly into my mouth," Akane shot back, "I just thought you were using it as an excuse to kiss me."

"Well, that too," Ranma said.

"Unfortunately, while the ki blast freed me, it also made the Orochi very mad, and it followed us to the surface," Akane said.

"And Shinnosuke and the old man were just a bit surprised to see two girls crawl out of the water," Ranma said, with a grin at the memory, "So they weren't much help."

_Ranma and Akane lay gasping for breath on the sandy beach, as Shinnosuke and the old man stared at the red-haired girl who appeared to be dressed in a school girl's uniform. The fact that she was female was blatantly obvious through the thin material of the wet white blouse she was wearing._

"_Who are you?" Shinnosuke asked._

"_Does it matter right now?" Ranma replied, "We need to get away from here!" No sooner than the words left her mouth, the water in the center of the lake began to boil as the furious Orochi breeched the surface. "We don't have time for this, take care of her and get her away from here!" she cried._

_Shinnosuke looked at her, startled, but then understood as the girl ran toward the lake, catching the Orochi's attention._

"_Come and get it! A nice, deeeelicious girl," she said as she ran up the shore away from Shinnosuke and the still waterlogged Akane. She watched in satisfaction as Shinnosuke helped Akane to her feet and pulled her away from the lake toward the dubious safety of the forest._

"_Ho ho ho! Bet you can't catch me!" Ranma called, running just fast enough to taunt the beast._

"_She's being the bait!" Shinnosuke cried._

"_Oh Ranma! You idiot!" Akane exclaimed._

"_Ranma?" the old man asked, puzzled._

"_We need to save him!" Akane cried, "Isn't there some way to defeat the Orochi?"_

"_There is," the old man said._

"_Is there?" Akane asked, her eyes widening with hope._

_Meanwhile, Ranma continued to taunt the beast. "Just a peek," she cried as she unbuttoned the top two buttons on her blouse, and showed her cleavage. "If you can catch me, I'll show you the rest!" she cried._

"_You say there's another way?" Akane asked once more from the safety of the trees as she watched the Orochi chase her wife, bouncing the other heads around, and beginning to wake them up._

"_There is and there isn't," the old man replied._

"_So which is it?" Akane screamed, her hands clenching into fists to keep from grabbing the old man by the shoulders and shaking him apart._

"_There was a secret treasure from ancient times used to control the Orochi," the old man explained, "If we only had it! Made from the horn of the Orochi's mortal enemy—the horned mongoose, extinct for several hundred years."_

"_A horned mongoose?" Akane asked._

"_Yes, I had one, but long ago, I gave it to Shinnosuke, telling him that it was a protective amulet against the monsters, but no sooner did I give it to him then he lost it," the old man replied._

_Akane gasped and pulled the charm from around her neck, causing the old man to gasp._

"_BLOW CHILD BLOW!" the old man cried._

_Akane raced after the monster, crying, "I have to save Ranma! He's my husband!" As she neared the rear of the monster, she blew on the horn, and suddenly the seven heads fell back asleep, allowing her to get closer to the front of the monster._

_Just as the monster was about to grab Ranma with its long tongue, Akane blew once more, causing the monster to yawn, showing its yard long teeth, and then wearily it turned to seek its nest back down in the depths of the lake._

"And that's the end of the story," Akane said.

"Well, mostly," Ranma teased, "You left out the part where Shinnosuke declared his love for you. What was it, three times?"

"Four actually," Akane retorted, "I can't help it if he kept forgetting we were married."

"Well, at least he didn't hit on my girl form," Ranma said, with a grin.

Nabiki snorted and said, "That I would pay, well, not actually come to think about it, I wouldn't, but I would have loved to have seen that."

"Anyway, we left the old man and Shinnosuke behind, with their giant animals, and headed home, once they promised to do a better job of keeping them away from the village," Ranma said. He pulled out a small bag and tossed it to Nabiki. "The people of the village wouldn't take no for an answer, so I went ahead and accepted the reward they were offering," he added.

"I can't take this," Nabiki said. Then she gasped, and said, "I can't believe I said that."

"Don't worry Sis, we kept half of it for ourselves. Use the rest of it for the household finances," Akane said.

* * *

Finally the café cleared of customers, to the mingled relief and disappointment of the staff. While the brisk trade was good for their bank account, even with four of them working the restaurant, it had gotten entirely too hectic for any of their tastes. Ukyo barely waited until the door had closed behind the last merry couple before she had raced outside and taken down her banner for the evening, signifying that they were closed, while Ryoga and Konatsu had collapsed into a couple of chairs, and Lime had sat down heavily onto one of the stools at the grill.

"Oooh, my aching back and feet!" Lime complained. An odd look appeared on her face and then she giggled as she placed her hand on her distended belly, "Guess there's a football player in there."

"The baby is kicking?" Konatsu asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Uhuh," Lime replied, a happy smile on her face.

Konatsu struggled to her feet and walked over. "I can maybe help with your back, if you'd like. I'm pretty good at giving back rubs," she suggested, bashfully.

"Sure, if you can make this pain go away, I'll love you forever," Lime said, as she winced.

Ryoga bit his lip to keep from saying anything at the blush that appeared on Konastu's face as she slid around behind Lime and began to at first gently rub the other girl's back, and then as she felt the knots, began to work harder to loosen said knots.

Ukyo came back inside, carrying her furled banner, and locked the door. She set the banner down in one corner of the room, and joined her husband, puzzled by his look of amusement as he watched the other couple. "Okay, what was that bit about Konatsu not being female?" Ukyo asked, "Just look at her."

"No, you look at Konatsu. And then look at yourself in the mirror," Ryoga replied, with a grin.

"What am I missing?" Ukyo asked still not seeing what Ryoga was seeing.

Ryoga chuckled and said, "Well, first of all, he doesn't walk like a girl. You have a different type of pelvic girdle than guys do, so it is obvious if you know what are you looking for. And then second, guys have a pronounced Adam's apple." He pointed to his, and added, "And girls don't have one at all, see?" He moved her hand up and down his throat and then down hers.

Ukyo looked closely at Konatsu and then gasped. "You're right!" she exclaimed, "How did I not see that?"

"He dresses like a girl, his voice sounds like one, he acts like a girl, so it's understandable that you didn't look below the surface," Ryoga said, "But, I came in with no preconcieved notions and saw through him. My only question is why is he acting like this."

Ukyo grimaced and said, "I think he actually believes that he is a girl though. You haven't heard him when he talks to us, about being raised as a kunoichi."

"Oh joy!" Ryoga groaned, "So the poor guy thinks he's a girl, and looking at how he looks at Lime, fancies her. Can you imagine how torn up inside he must be?"

"What can we do about it?" Ukyo asked.

Ryoga shrugged and said, "Convince him that he really is a guy, I suppose. I don't know what else we can do about it. And then, let nature take its course to see if something happens between Lime and Konatsu."

"Hey, what are you two plotting over there? You been talking pretty quietly," Lime said, as she relaxed quite nicely under the clever hands of the young woman massaging her back.

"Oh, just talking about things," Ukyo replied, "He's been gone for a while, so we were just catching up."

"Ooh, that's the spot, right there!" Lime moaned as Konatsu found a particularly tense muscle.

"Something you might want to consider is to soak in a hot bath occasionally. That will help take the weight off of your back," Konatsu suggested diffidently.

"That's a very good idea. It always helped me with Yuki," Ukyo agreed.

"Speaking of which, she should be waking up about now, shouldn't she?" Lime asked.

"I did sneak off a few times this evening to feed her and check on her, but yes, she should be stirring soon," Ukyo said.

"I'll finish cleaning up," Konatsu said, "That way Ukyo-sama and Ryoga-san can have some time together, and I really don't want you on your feet any more than you have to, Lime-chan."

"I'm pregnant, not sick," Lime said a bit huffily.

"True, but you were complaining about your feet hurting not too terribly long ago," Konatsu replied, a bit forcefully, "And I don't want you sore in the morning."

"Konatsu, why don't you help Lime to her room, and then come down and help me. I'd like to get to know you just a bit better, aside from finding out that you are a hard worker and a very compassionate person," Ryoga said, "That way you'll be done quicker, and I can make up for some of the time that I have been away."

"Don't take too long, Ryoga," Ukyo said, "You need to spend some time with your daughter before I have to put her back to bed."

"Very well, Ryoga-san," Konatsu said, bowing slightly, "Will you allow this one to assist you, Lime-chan?"

Lime slid off the stool, and winced as her feet hit the floor. "Yes, it looks like I could use a hand," she replied, "It's amazing how something I can't see anymore can hurt so much."

Konatsu put her arm around the taller girl's waist, and waited until Lime had slung one arm around her neck and then the two of the headed towards the stairs at the best waddling pace that Lime could make.

"I'll be right up, Ucchan, and after we put Yuki to bed, then I'll put you to bed," Ryoga said, a grin on his face.

"Again, you mean, don't you? Twice in one day, are you trying to make up for lost times?" Ukyo asked, a saucy grin on her face.

"Complaining?" Ryoga asked.

"Nope, just commenting," Ukyo said, with a smirk as she disappeared up the stairs.

Ryoga chuckled for a moment, and then following the familiar lines on the floor, he took the last load of dishes into the kitchen, and placed them next to the sink. He filled a glass with cold water and set it carefully to one side, out of the way of any accidental spilling and then filled the sinks with hot water, so he could start washing dishes.

* * *

Konatsu entered the kitchen to find Ryoga puttering around the kitchen, whistling and washing the dishes and placing them in the drying rack to dry. The kunoichi stood there watching, a vague sense of disquiet forming in the back of her head, as something raised the hackles on the back of her neck.

"Ah, Konatsu, why don't you wash while I dry, that way we can get these dishes put away, and then I guess, sweep and mop the front," Ryoga suggested.

"Of course, Ryoga-san," Konatsu said politely as she moved closer to the sink, and began scrubbing the various dishes, cups, and the cutlery.

Ryoga reached for the towel on his arm and began drying. He asked, "How long have you been in Nerima, Konatsu?"

"A couple of weeks, I guess, before Ukyo-sama found me starving in an alleyway and took pity on me," Konatsu answered, "She is an angel from heaven."

"Won't get any argument from me about that, remember, she married me," Ryoga said, with a chuckle. Then he sobered and said, "That reminds me of something I saw in the news about two weeks ago. I was in Kyoto, I think, or maybe Sapporo, for some reason I always get those two towns mixed up. Anyway, they were reporting on a teashop, deep in the mountains, that was run by a group of kunoichi that mysteriously burned down to the ground. Apparently there were no survivors, except perhaps for the young stepdaughter of the owner."

Konatsu didn't react except for the tightening of her fingers on the plate she was holding.

"It went on to say that the authorities had recovered a few documents that were in a metal box. They apparently documented years of abuse of the young girl. The amazing thing that was in the box was also a birth certificate for that girl. Only, the girl was actually a boy. Would you like to know the name on that certificate, Konatsu?" Ryoga continued.

Konatsu turned to him in shock. "M-me?" she asked.

"Yes, it was Konatsu. It seems that you are actually male," Ryoga said kindly, "Though you were raised to be kunoichi."

Konatsu backed away, and exclaimed, "No! It can't be!"

Ryoga sighed and took off his shirt and his t-shirt. "Konatsu, look at me," he ordered.

Konatsu stared at him, unsure what the man in front of him was doing.

"Is this what you see in the mirror before you dress?" Ryoga asked. He then picked up the glass of water and poured it over his head. After the transformation, she pointed to her chest, and asked, "Or is this what you see?" She splashed some of the hot water from the sink onto her body, and changed back. "Which was it?" he asked, very kindly.

"I look like that," Konatsu said, dropping to the floor to his knees. "I really am a boy," he sobbed, "My entire life has been a lie!"

Ryoga sat down and said, soothingly, "I don't know what to say to you, except you have your friends here, and we will see you through this, whatever you need."

"But I was raised to be a girl, I think like a girl," Konatsu whispered. Suddenly he looked up, his eyes filled with tears and asked, "Do you have any of that water? The water that turned you into a girl?"

"No, but are you sure that's what you really want?" Ryoga asked carefully, "I've seen how you look at Lime. Wouldn't things be easier for you if you lived as a guy?"

"I don't know how!" Konatsu wailed.

"I'll help you learn, and I'm sure Ukyo and Lime will also," Ryoga said, "After all, my wife lived as a boy for years, and so did Lime for that matter. And there are some others that can help you. Doc and his wife Kasumi for example are always good to talk things over with. They may not always have advice, but they have a willing ear. And you are welcome here as long as you wish. This is your home, not just a place to stay. And if you'll let us, we'll be there for you."

"Thank you, Ryoga-san," Konatsu whispered.

"No real need for thanks, that's what friends are for. To stand with you in the dark times as well as the good times," Ryoga said simply. Then he grinned and said, "You know, those dishes aren't going to wash themselves."

* * *

Author's Notes: Finally, an update. Hopefully, the writer's block that was keeping this story on the backburner has vanished. I hope my Gentle Readers enjoy this latest chapter. As always, reviews and constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged.


	63. A Kunoichi and His Feelings

Chapter 63 A Kunoichi and His Feelings

Ryoga carefully closed the door behind him and walked through the darkened room, shedding his clothes along the way.

"I'm still up," Ukyo said, softly, "So how'd it go?"

"Not sure. I'm not the most sensitive of guys, and he was pretty upset about finding he really was a guy. Gonna be pretty messed up in his head for a while, I expect," Ryoga replied, as he pulled the covers back and joined his wife in the bed.

"What took you so long?" she asked.

"Well, so long as we were cleaning, I guess he was able to keep his mind occupied, but any time he stopped, he got to thinking about it. Broke down a lot, so I had to do a lot of consoling," he replied, "First time that I remember having to hug a guy. Finally got him to his bedroom, and waited until he cried himself to sleep. He even asked if I had any of the Nannichuan water so he could be a girl. I sort of pointed out that I thought he had feelings for Lime, and he decided that was maybe a reason to learn to be male."

"I just hope Konatsu doesn't get hurt," Ukyo said, "Lime still has feelings for Herb, even if she knows it can never be."

"Especially since he's married now," Ryoga said.

"Well, hopefully Konatsu will take things slowly, and not rush her," Ukyo said, "Her hormones are still all over the map with the baby and all, so it won't take much to upset her."

"I hope so to," Ryoga said, as he began to nuzzle her neck, kissing the exposed skin, causing Ukyo to shiver.

Ukyo moaned slightly and then rolled over. As she did so, Ryoga suddenly realized that she was wearing only her skin under the covers, and his eyes lit up.

--------------------------------------

Lime woke from her slumber and gently caressed her stomach. "Hey little one, mommy needs her sleep," she crooned, as she felt her child kicking once more. Her eyes were filled with wonder at the sensation. After laying in bed for a few minutes, hoping that she could get back to sleep, she gave it up as a bad job, and climbed gingerly out of bed. Grabbing her bathrobe, she slid it on, and cinched the belt closed and left her room, heading downstairs to find a late night snack. As she passed by the door opening into Ukyo-sama's apartment, she heard a low cry. Smiling wistfully, she placed her hand on her distended belly, the last visible reminder of the man that she had fallen in love with, and wished with all her heart that he had remained with her. A small tear slid down her cheek, and she sighed, knowing that he was lost to her forever. She made her way downstairs, and entered the back room, and rummaged around for something to eat in the cooler. A stifled sob drew her attention to the small room off the kitchen that Konatsu had claimed as her own. Curious, Lime walked over and pulled back the curtain, exposing the other girl curled up on her futon, crying into the thin pillow that was all she would accept.

Konatsu wept silently, only the occasional sob escaping into the stillness of the night. Suddenly, someone sat down on the thin pad, and the miserable kunoichi rolled over to see the concerned face of Lime gazing down in the dim light sneaking through the kitchen windows.

"What's wrong, Konatsu-chan?" Lime asked, as she pulled the girl into her arms, and held her. To her surprise, the other girl simply cried even harder, and attempted to weakly struggle.

"Please, don't be nice to me," Konatsu pleaded, with a voice husky from the shed tears, "I don't want you near me, especially you."

Stung, Lime asked, "Did I do something wrong? Why do you hate me so much?"

"NO!" Konatsu exclaimed, horrorstruck, "You've done nothing wrong, and I could never hate you. Never."

"Then why do you want me to leave? I can't stand you being unhappy, and I'd really like to help my friend," Lime said.

"Because you may not want to be my friend when you find out what I just discovered," Konatsu replied, miserably.

Lime lightly kissed the other girl's forehead and said, "There's nothing you could tell me that would make me stop being your friend. Who else is going to be with me when I have this baby? Who will help me raise her? Give me a shoulder to cry on when I need it?"

"Probably Ukyo-sama and Hibiki-san," Konatsu mumbled.

"They'll help, but who's been there for me when my back was hurting? Who massages my feet when I've spent too much time on them? That was you, Konatsu, my friend," Lime said. She paused, and then asked, rubbing the other girl's back in a comforting gesture, "So what is this deep dark secret? You can tell me anything."

Konatsu sighed and said, "I just found out that I've been living a lie all my life."

"What kind of a lie?" Lime asked, gently. 'I can certainly relate to that,' she thought, 'all those years trapped in a male body when I knew that I was really female."

"I'm not really a girl," Konatsu wailed, "I'm really a boy!"

"What do you mean, you're really a boy?" Lime asked.

"Why I don't know, but my family raised me to be a female, a kunoichi," Konatsu cried, "but it was all a lie." The miserable kunoichi ripped open the pajama tops, exposing a flat though nicely muscled chest, and wailed, "See! I don't know what I am anymore!"

"Oh, Konatsu," Lime said, "You poor confused person. But, I'm not turning away from you. You are still my friend, and always will be." 'And I know a lot about how you are feeling right now,' she thought.

"You don't hate me?" Konatsu sniffed.

Lime tightened her hug and whispered, "I could never hate you, Ko-chan. You are my best friend in the world." She watched as the pain and anguish left her friend's eyes. "What are you going to do?" she asked.

Konatsu blushed and replied, "Learn how to be a guy, I guess. I asked Hibiki-san if he had any more of the water that changed him into a girl, thinking that I might be more comfortable if my body matched what I thought I was, but he doesn't. And then he pointed out an advantage for being a male."

"What might that be?" Lime asked.

"Um, I'd rather not say. It's sort of a secret," Konatsu replied, bashfully.

"Friends shouldn't really keep secrets from friends. Don't you trust me?" Lime asked.

Konatsu whispered, "Of course I do. I trust you with everything." 'Including my heart,' he thought.

"Then why do you want to learn to be a man?" Lime persisted.

Konatsu bowed his head, and replied, "You'll be the first to know when I am ready to tell anyone. Until then, could you wait for an explanation?"

Lime smiled and said, "Of course I can."

"Could I ask you one more favour?" Konatsu asked.

"Sure, what is it?" Lime asked.

"Would you stay with me tonight? Maybe if you're with me, I won't fall apart again," Konatsu asked.

Lime blushed and replied, stammering, "I guess I could, but my bed is much more comfortable, not to mention a bit bigger." She chuckled and said, "Though I'm not sure how still I'll be. My little one gets a little restless sometimes."

"I think I can handle that," Konatsu said, "Shall we head upstairs to your room? Oh, wait, why were you down here in the first place?"

Lime sighed and said, "I was having some cravings, but they are gone. Now all I want to do is try to get a little sleep." She began to struggle to her feet, only to have Konatsu somehow stand up before she could rise. He shyly held out his hand, and when she clasped it, helped her up. The somewhat gender-confused pair headed out of the kitchen and then up the stairs to her room, an odd feeling of warmth welling up from her chest as they reached her bed. The two of them stared at it, both of them blushing furiously.

"Well, go ahead, get in," Konatsu said, "You really need to stay off your feet as much as possible."

"No, you first," Lime said.

"This is silly," Konatsu said, "Let me help you in and then I'll find a place."

"I'm pregnant, not an invalid!" Lime snapped.

Konatsu rolled his eyes and said, "I know that. I also know that extra weight in your belly makes you just a little unbalanced."

Lime giggled and asked, "Unbalanced as in crazy or did you really mean ungainly?"

Konatsu grinned in the darkness and simply said, "Yes," as he helped her into the bed.

"There, this is my side," Lime said, forcing Konatsu to walk around the bed and get in on the side away from the door.

"Your bed, your rules," Konatsu said simply.

"Good night, Ko-chan," Lime said, as she yawned and closed her eyes.

"Night, Lime," Konatsu echoed, turning to look fondly at the girl he was willing to learn how to be male for. Smiling, he rolled back over and closed his eyes, feeling oddly content.

--------------------------------------

A polite knock on the door slowly roused Lime from her comfortable perch. Somehow during the night, she had ended up snuggled up against Konatsu, who was spooning her, with one arm protectively wrapped around her stomach. Her eyes widened slightly as she was also felt impressive proof that he had not been lying the night before about being male, and a blush appeared on her face.

Ukyo called through the door and said, "Lime, it's time to get up."

"I'm awake, Ukyo-sama," Lime replied, as she reluctantly pulled herself away from Konatsu, waking him up in the process, and causing him to blush as he became aware of their sleeping position.

"I'm sorry," he said, scrambling away from her, his face red.

"Don't be," Lime said, softly, "I had the best sleep since I got pregnant."

At that moment the door opened, and Ukyo poked her head in, saying, "Lime, hurry….." She came to a stammering halt as she saw a blushing Konatsu, lying frozen in the bed, with Lime sitting on the edge, ready to stand up. "Um, sorry," she finished, as she reddened in embarrassment.

"Ukyo-sama, this isn't exactly what it looks like," Lime said hurriedly.

"Oh, so he didn't sleep with you?" Ukyo asked, her eyebrow arched in skepticism.

"Well, yes, but," Lime stammered.

"So what don't I understand about it?" Ukyo asked, "And I guess you found out that Konatsu isn't a girl?"

"She's not!" Lime exclaimed, her eyes wide, "Then that wasn't a banana in your pocket!" She giggled at the expression on Ukyo's face, as Konatsu looked confused.

Ukyo said, "It seems like your body knows that you are male, Konatsu, even if you didn't. Apparently you really liked spending the night with Lime, and well, your body reacted."

Konatsu realized what that unfamiliar sensation was, and blushed. He pulled the covers over his head, and attempted to hide.

Lime giggled, and pulled them back, and said, "Yes, Ko-chan told me last night, when I found him crying downstairs. We talked for a while, and then I asked him to share my bed, to help him get through the night. It worked, I think. I slept well, and he did too." She turned to Konatsu and added, "And I wasn't offended by how we ended up, if that's worrying you any, Ko-chan. I think you spooning with me was part of why I slept better, because I was feeling safe. And if it helps you, you can spend the next few nights with me, until you don't need it anymore."

"Enough flirting you two," Ukyo said, with a straight face, "You have a restaurant to run while I get head to school."

"Yes, Ukyo-sama," Konatsu said, as he crawled out of bed, hoping that his reaction had subsided, "But you'll have to move out of the way for me to get downstairs."

Ukyo grinned and entered the room, leaving a clear path for him to flee down the hall. "That was very nice of you, Lime," Ukyo said, softly, "This is going to be very hard for Konatsu to handle, I'm afraid. To find out now that much of what he thought was true was actually a lie." 'And if things go the way it looks, you two are made for each other,' she thought.

Lime nodded, but said, "We're probably the perfect people to help him through it, though. Even though you knew you were a girl, you pretended to be a male for several years, and even though I was born male, I always knew that I really was a girl. So both of us have had our share of gender issues."

Ukyo giggled and said, "Not to mention my husband who turns into a girl when wet." She sobered then and added, "Just take things slowly with him. And be careful, he's got a crush on you."

"So that's what he was hiding last night," Lime exclaimed, "When he wouldn't tell me the reason he wanted to learn to be a guy, instead of looking for the drowned girl water."

"Uh huh, that's right. So don't hurt him," Ukyo said.

"I like Konatsu, or at least the person I thought he was. And I had noticed that 'she' seemed to have feelings for me. It wasn't making me uncomfortable, at least not yet, since Konatsu wasn't being overt about it," Lime said, "But to be honest, I'm relieved that Konatsu is really a guy."

"Don't go crazy though. While it's been several months since Herb left, you don't want to be on a rebound," Ukyo said softly.

"No real danger of that," Lime said, "Besides, I'm really going to have my hands full soon anyway." She placed her hands on her belly as she finished speaking, an angelic smile on her face.

"Roughly another month, isn't it?" Ukyo asked, her eyes filled with wonder.

"Something like that," Lime agreed.

"How are you handling it?" her friend asked.

Lime shrugged and replied, "Aside from the whole going where no man has gone before thing, you mean? I'm excited, and terrified all at the same time."

"That actually sounds pretty normal," Ukyo said, "That's how I felt while I was pregnant. You just have that additional minor complication in that you weren't born female, is all."

Lime giggled attractively and said, "Minor complication, I like the sound of that." Then she grimaced and added, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I was just reminded that I need to take care of something." She flew through the door and headed toward the bathroom.

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The door to the café clanged open and Ukyo strolled in, leading her husband by the hand. The sun streaming through the freshly cleaned windows gave a warm glow to the inside of the currently empty room, since the noon rush had long since dissipated and now Lime and Konatsu were simply making sure everything was spotless. She said, "Since we have a little time before the dinner crowd starts showing up, why don't the two of you go for a walk, instead of staying cooped up in here. It's gorgeous out there, and both of you could use a short break."

"That's a good idea, Ukyo-sama," Lime said, taking her apron off and hanging it on a hook just inside the back kitchen, "Let me go change into some more comfortable clothing, though." She headed up the stairs to her room.

"Konatsu," Ukyo called, waving the young man to her, "There's something I need you to do for me."

"Of course, Ukyo-sama," Konatsu said, "Whatever you ask, I will do."

"This is complicated. Unwed mothers are looked down upon a very great deal, and, well, when it became obvious that Lime was pregnant, we made up a story about her husband being off on some sort of trip, so that she wouldn't lose face," Ukyo said, "I'd like you to pretend to be her husband while she's walking about, if someone asks about you."

"I can do that," Konatsu said.

Ukyo sighed in relief and suggested, "In that case, you might want to change clothing, so that you'll look more like a guy."

"As you wish," Konatsu said, as he headed toward his room, to change into some of the clothing that Ryoga and Ukyo had given him that morning.

Ryoga snickered as he sat down in one of the booths. "Matchmaking much?" he asked.

"Hush you," Ukyo said, with a grin, "She could do a lot worse, and Konatsu thinks he is in love with her."

"Not complaining, just commenting. You probably need to check on Yuki though, I'm sure she will be waking soon," Ryoga said.

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Lime stopped in surprise at the bottom of the stairs, when she saw Konatsu standing there waiting for her, a shy smile on his face, dressed quite nicely in a pair of blue jeans, a sleeveless t-shirt, a plain blue shirt, and a baseball cap with the Furikan School logo on it.

Konatsu's eyes grew big and he said, "You look very nice, Lime." And indeed she did, dressed in a light yellow maternity dress, a matching purse slung over one shoulder, and a black ribbon tying her hair back from her face.

Lime blushed prettily and said, "You look very handsome, yourself." She regained her composure and asked, "Shall we go for a stroll kind sir?"

Konatsu grinned and replied, "Of course, my lady." The two of them headed out the door, and started down the street in the general direction of one of the small parks.

As they neared one of the cross streets, Lime stumbled a bit, and Konatsu reached out and grabbed her hand to keep her steady. Lime flashed a smile, and the two of them continued down the street. As they reached the cross street and waited for the light to change, Lime groaned slightly as she saw the elderly woman waiting there as well.

"What's wrong?" Konatsu asked.

"That's Ichiro-san, she's the worst gossip around," Lime whispered back.

The old woman smiled toothlessly at them, and asked, in a quavering voice, "Lime, is that you?"

"Yes, Ichiro-san," Lime replied, politely.

"Now, dear, I know I've asked you to call me Grannie many times," Ichiro complained.

"Sorry, Grannie," Lime said, rolling her eyes.

"Is this your husband, back after so long from his trip?" the old woman asked.

"Um," Lime began, only to have Konatsu interrupt, "Yes, Ichiro-san, I am. My name is Konatsu, and it is good to be back with my lovely wife."

Lime glanced at him with a startled expression on her face, only to relax as she saw him wink at her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Konatsu-kun, but what family are you?" the old woman asked.

"Clan Hibiki," Lime said quickly.

"Ah, that lovely girl who runs Ucchans," Ichiro said, slowly, "That is her husband. But doesn't he have some sort of odd curse?"

"Yes, I'm afraid that he does. He has a horrible sense of direction. Why my poor cousin could get lost in a room with but one door," Konatsu said.

"Oh, you are his cousin?" she asked.

"Well, that's just a courtesy title. The actual relationship is a bit more distant. That's why I don't have his problems," Konatsu said. To his relief, the light changed, signaling that it was safe to cross. "Shall we, dear?" he asked.

"Yes, I still want to get to the park," Lime said.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Grannie," Konatsu said, as he helped Lime cross the street, leaving the old woman behind as she hobbled across.

Lime waited until they were out of earshot and then asked, "What was that all about?"

"Oh, just reinforcing the story that you and Ukyo-sama have been spreading. I don't mind pretending to be your husband if it helps you out in any way. I care a great deal for you, Lime, and would be saddened if somehow your name was dragged through the mud simply because of the new life that you are carrying," Konatsu said softly. He hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I would never ask why you are in the condition you are, it is not really any of my business, but I will help you in whatever way you would let me."

"That is so kind of you, Konatsu, but then I've come to expect that of you," Lime said. She pursed her lips for a moment and then added, "It is a very long story, but I believe that you need to hear it. Perhaps once we get to the park."

"I look forward to it," Konatsu said, "And as it seems that we have nearly reached our destination, then it will be sooner rather than later."

Lime looked up, and Konatsu was indeed correct. The entrance to the park was a short block ahead, the gate in the stone wall open and the trees towering over the wall promising a pretty vista, and the possibility of a secluded glade where they could find some privacy.

Before the gate, an enterprising young woman was standing behind a small wagon, loaded with flowers. As they approached, the woman called out, "Flowers for your wife, sir?"

On a whim, Konatsu stopped and replied, "Why not?" He pulled out a few yen, and handed them to the woman, who handed him a single red rose. He smiled and said, "A pretty flower for a lovely lady." He placed the flower in Lime's hand.

Lime smiled tremulously, and then moved by some odd impulse, lightly kissed his cheek. "Thank you, once again, kind sir," she said, a note of wonder in her voice.

"And once again, you are welcome," Konatsu said, as they entered the park, and wandered down one of the flagstone paths as it meandered through a lovingly tended formal flower garden, filled with plants of all colours and types. Occasionally, they would spot a narrow path wandering off into the trees, but they could always hear that some couple was already exploring down that trail. Finally, as they reached the center of the park, they discovered another path, that appeared to be heading toward a place where they could find a bit of privacy. As they turned one final corner, rounding between two towering trees, they found a small bench near a fountain that offered them both a serene atmosphere, and a pleasant place to talk. Konatsu helped Lime sit on the bench, and then joined her, while Lime played with the flower that was in her hand, and an oddly pensive look on her face.

"I'd offer you a yen for your thoughts, but I think I spent all I had on me for that flower," Konatsu gently teased.

A faint smile flashed across her face and then she sighed heavily. "I'm not sure how to start, and I'm scared that you might think less of me once you hear my story," Lime finally said.

Konatsu said, "I just found out I was really a guy, Lime, and if I can handle that shock to my system, I'm sure I can handle just about anything else." 'Not to mention the odd things my body is feeling when I am around her,' he thought, with a wry smile.

"I didn't always look like this," Lime began, hesitantly.

Konatsu smirked at her and said, "Even I know that. Being pregnant changes the body in all sorts of ways."

"Not that," Lime said, glaring him into silence. She sighed and began again, "I'm not Japanese, I was born in China, into a tribe called the Musk Dynasty. It is a very chauvinistic, patriarchial society, where the boys and girls are raised apart from each other. The boys are trained to be mighty warriors, resolute in battle, fearing no one, and loyal to their leader."

"And how are the girls raised?" Konatsu asked.

"I wouldn't know," Lime replied, "For I was raised as a boy."

"Sort of like me, then, I was born male, but raised to think of myself as a girl, while you were born female, but raised to think of yourself as a guy," Konatsu observed.

"Well, not quite," Lime said, looking down at the ground. Finally, she said, "There's no easy way to say this except straight out. I was born male, Konatsu; but even growing up, I felt something was wrong about my gender."

"You were actually male? Then do you have a curse like Ryoga-sama, where you change back and forth? No, that can't be right, because I've seen you get wet with hot water, and you didn't change," Konatsu interrupted. He stared at her with thoughts whirling around in his mind, a flood of mixed messages that were confusing in their intensity.

"It will become clearer as I tell my tale," Lime said, "Anyway, as I said, I was never really comfortable being male, as if there was something wrong with the body that my soul and spirit was in. I grew up very confused about who and what I was, but refused to show my uncertainty. I overcompensated for my fears and for certain feelings that I had developed by becoming an arrogant, overly masculine jerk, one who wanted to constantly ogle girls, or at least once I realized that they existed."

"I can sort of relate to that at least. I never was attracted to the men that came by my family's place, but some of the girls did strange things to my heart," Konatsu said, softly, "And I couldn't understand what that was." 'The same thing I am feeling for you,' he thought, a bit sorrowfully.

"Then, my life was changed dramatically. The man I had developed feelings for, Master Herb, the prince of my people, was to be betrothed to a woman from an influential family. However, since he had never actually seen a woman, much less interacted with one, he went to the cursed training ground of Jusenkyo, to change some creature into a girl. But, in the end, he himself fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl, and got locked into female form by the misuse of one of our tribe's ancient treasures. The only way to unlock him, and allow him to be restored, was to find its counterpart, which for some unknown reason had ended up here in Japan. He came here, heavily disguised, and brought myself and my friend Mint, to search for the kettle that would free him. When Mint and I found out that Master Herb had been cursed, we gave him a rather hard time, always trying to sneak a peek at his femaly body. Well, that was mostly Mint's idea, but I had to admit to curiosity myself. He finally had enough, and one morning we woke up locked in female form. For Mint, it was horrible, but for me it was like waking up right for the first time in my life."

Konatsu lifted her chin so that he could see into her eyes, eyes filled with worry. "I think I can understand that too, Lime," he said, gently.

"When they felt that we had been 'punished' enough for our misbehavior, Master Herb offered to change us back, but I refused. I knew that I had always been a woman, and now had the body to go with the person I always was," Lime said, "And then I confessed my attraction to Master Herb, which troubled him. He couldn't see past the person he thought I was, to the person I really was. He returned to his people, where he eventually married, but I stayed here, after seducing him the night before he was supposed to leave, and deliberately got myself with child so that I would have a remembrance of the man that I thought I was in love with."

"That's an odd turn of phrase," Konatsu pointed out.

Lime smiled wryly, and replied, "I've had several months to think about things, Konatsu, and one of the conclusions that I reached was that I wasn't really in love with him after all. It was a crush, probably brought on by some sort of twisted sense of that loyalty that I mentioned before. I don't regret what happened, and look forward to raising this child, surrounded by my friends, and family."

"That is a worthy goal, Lime, and I hope you count me in that group," Konatsu said, "As a friend at least."

"Konatsu," Lime asked, hesitantly, "Do you think of me differently now? Please be honest with me."

Konatsu looked uncertain for a second, and saw the fear in the woman sitting next to him, and realized that he didn't feel any different. "No!" he replied, almost explosively, "I've never known you as anything else but Lime, the woman with the spirit of a warrior. All you've really told me is how you developed into that person. I don't think of you as a man turned into a girl, after all, you have proof that you are very much a woman right in front of us. What you were born as matters not to me. But, I have to admit, I think we are a very mixed up couple."

Lime let out the breath that she hadn't realized she was holding, and asked, "Mixed up couple?"

"Well, look at me, I'm a boy, raised as a girl, who never doubted he was female until I came here and was forced to discover who I really was by a man who changes into a girl when wet, and you, a girl, born into a male body, who was raised as a boy, but somehow gained her true self," Konatsu replied.

"True, we are mixed up," Lime said, smiling weakly, "But we aren't a couple."

"Well, not necessarily in a romantic sense, I suppose," Konatsu said, slowly.

Lime nodded, and said, "I know about your feelings for me, Ko-chan, but right now all I can offer is my friendship."

"That's good enough for me," Konatsu said, blushing heavily, "But don't think too badly of me for hoping that eventually there is more."

"I won't, that I can promise you," Lime said, a hint of colour in her cheeks, "For now, though, I wouldn't object for my friend to hold me."

Konatsu complied happily as he wrapped one arm around her, allowing her to snuggle up against his shoulder.

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Akane jumped out of the way as a blur flew through the gate and attacked her husband. "Hello, mom," she said, as Nodoka strolled sedately through that same gate.

"Good afternoon, daughter," Nodoka replied, her gaze serene as she watched her son being glomped by Genko.

"I think she missed him, just a little bit," Akane said, grinning broadly.

"That's a distinct possibility," Nodoka replied, "She's only been asking about him for a week now."

"Big brother, where have you been! I missed you sooooooooooo much," Genko exclaimed, as she attempted to squeeze the life out of her brother.

"Akane and I were on a training trip," Ranma gasped out, "Now, please, I sort of need my ribs in one piece."

"A training trip!" Akane mumbled under her breath, "We fought an eight-headed dragon and he calls it a training trip!"

"What was that Akane dear?" Nodoka asked.

Embarrassed, Akane glanced at the ground, unsurprised to find that the sidewalk was freshly swept, all of the grass mown exactly at the same height, not a pebble out of place, sure signs that Kasumi had been cleaning. "Nothing, really," Akane replied, finally, not meeting her mother-in-law's eyes. She smiled weakly and said, "You've done a good job raising your 'daughter' so far."

"Thanks, but I can't take all of the credit. Ranma has done a good job in the big brother role, and that's helped immensely. For whatever reason, she'll do anything for him. And Kasumi is another good role model," Nodoka said, "And there's no negative influences aside from the occasional bully at school, but she's gotten skilled enough in her art to give most of them pause."

"And I think you are enjoying teaching her to be a lady, also," Akane smirked.

"Oh my, yes," Nodoka replied, "Considering some of his beliefs, I take great pleasure in teaching her differently. And definitely showing her that women have a great deal of worth and aren't useless is the best revenge."

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Author's Notes: Hello, Gentle Readers. Another update to my story, somewhat sooner than the last one. And for those who caught the Mae West reference, I swear I saw it on a rerun, not the original release. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. And yes, there was a blatant quote from Star Trek. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, reviews and constructive criticisms are welcomed and encouraged.


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